Stewart-Phillips counts benefits for Tobago from US trips

Tourism Secretary Nadine Stewart-Phillips is counting benefits for Tobago from her recent trips to United States to attend the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) Caribbean Week in New York and for a cruise ship sales mission in Miami.

Speaking at Wednesday’s post Executive Council media briefing at the Administrative Complex in Calder Hall, Stewart-Phillips reported that benefits will accrue for discussions at her Caribbean Week attendance on June 3-9.

“We benefitted from discussions on tourism issues and challenges within the region from the forums that we attended. Discussions were held as well with the travel trade, and updates were given to the regional and the international media on our offerings here in Tobago,” she said.

She said key topics discussed included improving airlift in the region, with a presentation by Carib Sky - an alliance of regional airlines - with which is seeking to establish a larger network to improve airlift.

She also noted discussions on joint marketing initiatives among islands share flights - Tobago shares flights with three Caribbean islands; Barbados, St Lucia and Antigua - and that the Tobago Tourism Agency will be working closely with these islands to ensure flights are full coming from North America.

At the cruise ship sales mission in Miami, Stewart-Phillips said this trip was in keeping with the tourism roadmap for growth as approved by the board of Directors of the Tobago Tourism Agency and endorsed by the private sector stakeholders.

“Increasing cruise passenger arrivals as well as e on-island expenditure of the visitors were clearly articulated in the objectives of the roadmap, which are intended to lead to increased economic activities and benefits from tourism.

“Some of the main objectives from this initiative is to establish a working relationship with the various cruise operators, increase the number of cruise vessels visiting the island from cruise lines which currently visit Tobago, and to seek new opportunities for the destination by focusing on cruise lines that visit destinations within close proximity of Tobago as those represent additional potential business,” she said.

She said the Tobago team met with representatives of 18 cruise lines; seven that currently call on Tobago.

“In those meetings and beyond the introductions, there was a clear outline of the direction and the role that tourism and cruise businesses in particular is expected to play to the economic development of Tobago.

“The team invited the various cruise lines to include Tobago on their respective schedules, the range of product offerings for the cruise sector were articulated in a professionally prepared digital presentation.

The outreach to the various lines were well received and without exception and they welcomed the opportunity to work with the destination in various ways to grow our cruise business,” she reported.

With 80,000 passengers on cruise ships that made 55 calls on Tobago for the 2017-2018 season, Stewart Phillips said information on the expectation for the 2018 season would be confirmed in August.

“However, the seven cruise lines that usually call at our destination have us on their schedule at both the Port of Scarborough and Charlotteville. Closer to August we would get at least how many calls each line would make,” she said.