Tobago hotels receiving 'interest in bookings'

Some Tobago hotels and guesthouses have begun receiving “significant interest in bookings” as TT slowly reopens, Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis said.

Speaking on Wednesday at the post executive council news conference at Scarborough Library, Dennis said the easing of covid19 restrictions coupled with the additional flights on the airbridge, has sparked some business activity on the island, especially with the tourism sector.Dennis told reporters he met with members of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association “and they have signalled to me that they have already started receiving significant interest in bookings for June 15.”

Dennis said although the beaches have not received clearance to reopen, the Division of Tourism, Culture and Transportation, which he also leads, will ensure Tobago is ready to receive visitors.

“The division of tourism will definitely begin its work to start cleaning our beaches and ensuring that our sites and attractions are in a state of readiness to accept not just our neighbours from Trinidad but even our fellow Tobagonians here who, I am sure, cannot wait to get into the salt and the sand. So, of course, we have begun to do our work in that regard.”

With the international borders still closed to minimise the threat of covid19 entering the country, Dennis said his administration will be focusing heavily on domestic tourism.

He said he has already held discussions with the Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd, which is focusing specifically on the domestic market within the next few months.

“I don’t think we can expect any promises where international tourism at this time is concerned. The situation is very grim and unpredictable and we can’t say when international visitors will return to our shores.

“Therefore, the only thing to do is to focus on the domestic market as far as we possibly can.”

Dennis urged Tobagonians to adhere to the guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus.

“I know as Tobagonians we love the beach, but we got to ensure that we adhere to the guidelines and to every single measure put in place because it was due to those guidelines, due to those early decisions why we are able to stand here today in a situation where, unlike others, we were not overwhelmed by this covid19 pandemic."