TTAL targets USA Divers at DEMA Show

The Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd (TTAL) led a delegation from Tobago to the USA Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) show in Las Vegas from November 14-17. This trip follows one to the Birmingham Dive Show in the UK last month.

A statement from TTAL said the November 14-17 mission was part of its strategy to increase visitor arrivals to Tobago, focusing on the dive niche.

It said the DEMA show was an exclusive trade partner event that brings together key members of the international dive industry, including retailers, tour operators and destination promoters and that attendees are exposed to educational programming with the latest news, trends, techniques and technologies in diving.

The event also offers a range of opportunities for dive-related entities to network and enhance business prospect, TTAL said.

“Tobago’s presence at these signature trade events is important in increasing the island’s visibility among dive enthusiasts in key source markets, as divers and potential investors seek out new ideas for destinations to travel to and partner with at these shows.”

The statement reported TTAL’s chief executive officer Louis Lewis as saying:

,“As of 2014, approximately 60% of the world’s recreational divers and 50% of snorkelers are based in the United States. These statistics suggest that the dive niche is an important avenue for entry into the North America market.

“Our attendance at DEMA Show enabled us to pursue strategic business alliances with trade partners for 2019 and beyond, as we seek to position Tobago as a premier diving destination in the US market.”

Representatives from Tobago’s dive niche - Sean Robinson, President of Association of Tobago Dive Operators and owner of Tobago Dive Experience, and Derek Chung, owner of Undersea Tobago, were on the Tobago delegation.

TTAL said, the team networked with dive groups and shops from across the USA, enlightening them about Tobago’s density and diversity of dive sites and promoting options for travel to Tobago, including the JFK/TAB route. They were also able to meet with prospective clients to garner forward bookings to Tobago for 2019/2020.