SoE and US/Venezuela tensions hit tourist arrivals in Tobago

IT HAS been a blue Christmas Season for many hoteliers and guest house and bed-and-breakfast operators in Tobago, which the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association is blaming squarely on the ongoing military tensions between the United States and Venezuela.

The state of emergency (SoE) – even with no curfew in effect – has also contributed to the downturn in bookings and tourist arrivals, association president Reginald MacLean said during a recent interview with Newsday.

Speaking on Christmas eve on December 24, MacLean said it was clear that tourism in Tobago this Yuletide Season has seen a drop in arrivals.

“The big drop was as a result of the US/Venezuela issue, and this has been compounded by the current state of emergency," MacLean said.

The association head pointed to the Blue Waters Inn in Speyside – where he is general manager – as an example of the drop. "This Christmas season , we aren’t full, ah mean we ent too bad eh, we’re at approximately 70 per cent. But at this same time in 2024, we were full...booked solid.”

Questioned about other establishments across the island, he said the association's membership had reported a general decline in bookings.

“Listen, Tobago is as busy as it can get with the limited flights and ferry services that we have. When you don’t have enough planes coming into an island, you can’t fill that island's hotels and hospitality institutions.”

He is calling on government to get serious about tourism.

“They have not at this point. They claim they want to diversify (away from the oil and gas economy) but I am not seeing anything happening positively from the government’s standpoint. All we’ve gotten are promises.”

The association's former president Alpha Lorde, agreed with MacLean's sentiments.

Lorde, the general manager of Mt Irvine Bay Hotel said that Mt Irvine was very quiet for the Yuletide season.

“We've had a quiet Christmas, unfortunately. But we’re seeing some positive trends as we look to the New Year period.

"Last year Christmas, it was just about the same, so I can say that both 2024 and 2025 have been fairly dismal.” Lorde said other establishments were also feeling the pinch.

“I don’t think there is an operator on the island who would tell you differently. No one can truthfully say that they are having anything close to a bumper Christmas season. That is definitely not the case."

Lorde said from a tourism standpoint, this year was very challenging.

“We started the year with a state of emergency. Then there was the general election and a change in government which in itself was a disruptive period as government-related activity when it came to taking care of the tourism product slowed down.

"Then we went back into another state of emergency, and this US/Venezuela issue...all of these things had an impact on our tourism. We've had a dismal year."

Lorde said he and others in the hospitality industry are hoping, praying and looking forward to better times in 2026.

“I think everybody has a quiet optimism that something is going to break and the dam will start to flow again.”

Newsday made several attempts to contact Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, and THA Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris, for their views, but all calls and WhatsApp messages went unanswered.