Marslyn: Promoting Tobago is everybody’s business

Tobagonians have an integral role part to play in supporting and championing the culture for transformation on the island as the Tobago House of Assembly cannot do so alone.

So advised Secretary of Community Development Marslyn Melville Jack in her remarks at last week’s Tobago Day Expo, who said “this change in mindset requires the collaboration and participation of all stakeholders.

“Our Assembly’s vision is to achieve in the short and medium term, a buoyant Tobago economy fuelled by the natural gas of tourism, agriculture, agro processing and light manufacturing,” she added.

She said the THA, through the Division would continue to provide the requisite training and resources to build human capacity through its vocational skills programme and to provide seed capital through enterprise development grants and loan programme in order to provide a conducive environment and facilitate growth and expansion of a robust private sector.

Exhibitors gathered at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex on Thursday and Friday last week for the Expo which was hosted by the THA, displaying goods and meeting with potential clients.

Melville Jack, commenting on the theme, ‘Partnering to Rediscover Tobago…It’s Beyond Ordinary,’ said it “seeks to remind us that promoting Tobago and rekindling our kindred spirit of hospitality is everybody’s business.

“It also seeks to emphasise the importance of going beyond mediocrity, delivering something extra to achieve an extraordinary outcome. This theme is also reflective of the island’s new branding and destination imagery strategy… ‘Tobago… go beyond ordinary’,” she said.

Noting that the Tobago Day Expo was the culmination of activities by the Tobago House of Assembly to celebrate Tobago Day 2018 (December 4), she said the celebrations was a historical milestone for all the people of Tobago and provides an opportunity “to celebrate what is uniquely Tobago while engendering civic patriotism and pride.”