German Foreign Office issues travel alert for Trinidad and Tobago

THE German Federal Foreign Office has issued urgent travel alerts for four countries, of which Trinidad and Tobago is one, citing rising security risks. The alerts were issued on December 7 via the office’s ‘Sicher Reisen’ (Travel Safely) app.

The other countries are Greece, Thailand and Bulgaria. A release on the VisaHQ website said the advisory “cites political protests in Greece, separatist violence in southern Thailand, street demonstrations and tighter border checks in Bulgaria, and an extended state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago.”

The website said while the advisory is not a formal travel ban, “businesses with operations in shipping, energy or agritech – sectors that frequently send German staff to Thessaloniki, Bangkok or Port of Spain – should review contingency plans, consider split-team deployments and maintain real-time comms channels. Expats already on the ground are urged to register with local embassies and limit non-essential movement during demonstrations.”

It said for the first time the office “explicitly linked the warnings to new ‘mandatory ID-upgrade’ rules: German travellers may be asked for electronic passports or EU national ID cards at random roadblocks, ferry terminals and regional airports. The ministry also cautions that sudden curfews or public-order decrees could force tourists to change itineraries at short notice.”

The website said airlines have not announced schedule changes, but travel agencies report a spike in voluntary re-bookings to Spain and the Canary Islands.

Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association president Reginald MacLean said with the state of emergency that Trinidad and Tobago has, Tobago had become safer than it was before.

“I think we have about a 70 or 75 per cent decrease in crime in Tobago, so Tobago is safer and we’re open for business and we’re welcoming all our future clients from all over the world to come and enjoy a peaceful Tobago and we have a lot to offer.

Asked about the fact that the state of emergency was the reason for the alert, MacLean said,

“Well it actually took them a little while to figure that out, because that was extended, if I’m right, about a month ago (on November 2), so it took them a long time to figure that one out.

“We have a fair amount of German business coming into Tobago on the Condor flight. The loads right now through April are looking pretty good on that flight and we welcome all the German and all the Swiss and all the other European countries that will use that flight to come to Tobago and we welcome them with open arms to our beautiful country.”

MacLean said the situation with Venezuela was an unfortunate one, as it had “gained a worldwide audience waiting to see what the US does and how Venezuela responds. Trinidad and Tobago, by proximity to Venezuela is caught in a Catch-22 situation, whereby I think the US is our largest trading partner, so what do we do? Where do we align ourselves?

“However, I think the biggest benefit to Trinidad, and with a lesser extent Tobago, we might be able to get some of the crime under control that the previous government has not been able to get under control thus far, and neither the new government thus far. So hopefully we will see a change by driving down the drugs, which will drive down the crime, and hopefully make Trinidad and Tobago a much safer place.”