Stewart-Phillips: We won't be distracted

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Division of Tourism, Culture and Transportation is on a steady part to advance its development agenda.

So said Secretary Nadine Stewart-Phillips as she contributed to the debate on Tobago’s budget at the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough last Thursday.

“We would not be distracted. We would not be side-tracked by our naysayers, because performance beats old talk any day and every day. We have every confidence in the leadership of our Chief Secretary and this administration that we’ll get the job done,” she said.

Reporting on the milestones achieved within her division, Stewart-Phillips said within the past fiscal year, the division focused its efforts on re-evaluating, redefining, restrategising and rebranding the Tobago product with the aim of increasing the island’s visibility in the global market place.

“This fiscal year, we will be going with full force with our plans having been better informed as a result of the bold steps we have taken.”

The secretary explained that the strategies and decisions employed will be better informed as a result of ongoing research and evaluation activities.

She said the division and its agencies will continue to ensure that the right mechanisms are in place through consultations with key industry players in the public and private sector.

Stewart-Phillips said information gathered from these discussions will ensure the best possible decisions are made for the overall growth and development of the island’s tourism industry.

Delivering the 2020 budget statement at the Assembly Legislature on June 24, Deputy Chief Secretary and Secretary of Finance and the Economy, Joel Jack said support for the tourism sector remains a key priority, despite plans to diversify.

Jack said in keeping with the Three-Year Road Map for Growth, developed by the Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd (TTAL) in collaboration with key tourism stakeholders on the island, the assembly continues to implement a number of initiatives to enhance Tobago’s tourism product and market the island as a premier tourist destination.

He said in the last fiscal year, the initiatives to enhance the tourism product and the marketing of Tobago included the rebranding of destination Tobago as “Tobago Beyond Ordinary,” the participation in several regional and international trade shows and conferences to market Tobago in Europe, USA and the Caribbean and the administration of the Tourism Accommodation Upgrade Programme (TAUP), which provides a reimbursement grant for approved upgrade works.

The marketing strategy also includes the launch of a community tourism awareness campaign and the establishment of tourism youth clubs in seven of the nine secondary schools on the island, the hosting of several familiarisation tours for travel agents, airline partners and product managers and the successful negotiation of airlift through Sunwing Airlines out of Canada in December 2018.

Jack said arising out of these initiatives, the island is beginning to see some encouraging signs in terms of increased arrivals to Tobago, as he reported that for the period January to May 2019, international air arrivals increased by 2,054 – a 17 per cent increase relative to the comparative period in 2018.

He noted, however, the assembly continues to encounter significant challenges, particularly in the lack of high-quality rooms and insufficient investment in tourism marketing due to fiscal constraints.

Jack said the initiatives aimed at developing the sector over the next fiscal year include the establishment of a Tobago Tourism Council, the provision of training to improve service excellence across the industry, participation in several national, regional and international trade shows and conferences, inclusive of the CTO UK Road Show, the Birmingham Dive Show, WTM in London, Caribbean Week in Canada, and the ITB in Berlin.

Initiatives also include the restoration and upgrade to several heritage sites and attractions, inclusive of the Roxborough Cocoa House and the Historical Site at Cove Estate, the hosting of several festivals and events inclusive of the Dragon Boat Festival, Blue Food Festival and the Tobago Jazz Experience, the provision of additional direct international airlifts to Tobago, the implementation of free Wi-Fi at strategic sites and attractions across the island and the creation of Destination Apps to enhance the visitor experience by showcasing key sites, attractions and events.