THA to 'revolutionise' tourism industry

Secretary of the Finance and the Economy Joel Jack has outlined several plans to revolutionise the tourism sector in his fiscal 2020/2021 budget presentation on Monday morning.

His plans include a Staycation campaign to promote domestic tourism, a community tourism campaign and a Tobago Home-coming campaign in North America and the UK, in 2021.

He said the assembly will work with tourism stakeholders to revive the industry. The Business Development Unit will also be providing a $4 million grant to support hotels, guesthouses and inns.

This is expected to stimulate the economy to cushion the economic aftershocks post-covid19.

There are also plans to establish a THA framework to enhance and protect tourist sites and attractions and use social media to aggressively market and promote the island.

The assembly will also provide special incentives to guesthouses and hotels to boost online presence and training in customer service, through the Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute.

The tourism hotel upgrade programme will also be expanded to $20 million. He said there will also be a focus on getting accreditation certificates of the Green Key International – an international eco-label awarded to accommodations and other hospitality facilities for sustainable business practices – for Destination Tobago.

Jack said the tourism industry had been most affected by covid19 restrictions recording a decline in interisland travel and revenue in the sector. “We continue to embrace every opportunity to reignite, reimagine and revolutionise our tourism industry.”