Burris defends $2m Døds Diving Championships

SECRETARY of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris said the THA pumped just over $2 million into hosting the Døds Diving World Championships in Charlotteville, Tobago, on August 9.

“The cost to host the Døds Diving event, the total cost was $2,003,997,” she said in response to a question from Minority councillor Petal Daniel-Benoit during a plenary sitting in the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough, on November 12.

The event was a collaborative effort between Døds Federation International, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and the Eco-Industrial Development Company of Tobago.

At least 50 divers from around the world competed in the event, which saw participants dive off a special 10-metre platform, demonstrating their creativity, bravado and style.

Burris also responded to a question from Daniel-Benoit about the justification for funding the Døds Diving event as opposed to the Tobago International Cycling Classic.

She said the Døds Diving event was a three-year partnership modelled and anchored by a licensing fee paid by the THA while the Tobago International Cycling Classic is a sponsorship model reliant on annual funding from the THA and other sponsors.

Burris said while Døds covers major costs, including airfare, meals, accommodation, prize money, medals, trophies, local transportation, equipment, international TV and social media crews and production services, the Tobago Cycling Classic relies on the THA and other sponsors to absorb events costs, particularly accommodation for cyclists – a practice not recognised as tourism promotion, in excess of $500,000 last year and they only produced 65 cyclists, half of whom came from Trinidad.

In terms of revenue and financial sustainability, Burris said for 2026 Døds Diving, the THA will receive 50 per cent of local advertising revenue and four major local advertisers have already signalled interest.

She added the event has the potential to become a cost neutral or revenue generating for the THA.

However, Burris said the Tobago Cycling Classic’s total sponsorship exceeds $500,000 but provides no real attraction for international cyclists.

“The event has not reformed its business model to attract stronger commercial or international backing.”

Regarding exposure, Burris said Døds Diving is described as the fastest growing adventure sport in the world with online viewership records of 50 million people amplified by athlete bloggers.

She said the Tobago event has already been featured in two one-hour Dutch and French specials on their largest networks and negotiations have been completed with a major international sporting network for the 2025-2027 broadcast rights and the exposure value for destination Tobago is estimated in the hundreds of thousands of US dollars.

Burris said, however, participation in the Tobago Cycling Classic has been limited to only 65 cyclists, more than half from Trinidad. “It is not a UCI-sanctioned event and this reduces international competitiveness and interest. Also, the low prize money offered provides little incentive for top-tier international athletes to participate.”

In terms of sustainability and viability, Burris said, the Døds Diving partnership model ensures shared revenue and long-term viability and has the potential pathway for the event to operate at no net cost to the THA.

“However, the Tobago international Cycling Classic, despite millions of dollars of support from the THA over the years, their current model is unsustainable and we have also recommended reforms to redirect resources from accommodation to enhanced prize money, to improve event management, to regain UCI sanctioning to attract international cyclists seeking ranking points.”

She added, “So basically what Døds is, it's an opportunity for a partnership approach for the THA to host high-level international sports tourism events that not only allow international visitors to come into the island to participate but through these television rights, for persons in other destinations to see first-hand the destination and all that we have to offer."

However, the Cycling Classic is an activity that, unfortunately, if we continue to support, we don’t see it having a turnaround in the short to medium term.”