Tobago dignitaries promote tourism to the region

Promoting Tobago as a “clean, green safe and serene” destination for tourists, representatives from the Tobago House of Assembly met and spoke with representatives from the Canadian travel industry this week about what the island has to offer visitors.

The lively reception, complete with music and a limbo demonstration, was held at the InterContinental Toronto Centre hotel on Aug. 6. Most notably, the event featured presentations by Tracy Davidson-Celestine, deputy chief secretary of tourism and transportation, and Joel Jack, secretary of finance and enterprise development, both of the Tobago House of Assembly. The dignitaries were in Toronto this week to promote both the tourism opportunities in Tobago, as well as its export products. While the economy of Trinidad and Tobago is closely linked to oil and gas production, tourism is another important sector for the islands.

According to Jack, the House of Assembly has allocated more than $50 million TT (Trinidad and Tobago dollars) for the promotion of the island as a travel hot spot.

“What Tobago can offer to Canadians is the unique experience of the island, the warmth of its people and its pristine environment,” he said, summing up the destination as “clean, green, safe and serene.”

In addition to tourism, Jack noted that Tobago and Canada share other economic ties, including the presence of both the Royal Bank of Canada and Scotiabank on the island, the presence of which he said “inspires confidence” in investors by bringing Canadian banking practices to the island.

Describing Tobago as “authentic and unspoiled,” Davidson-Celestine detailed the numerous attractions Tobago has to offer, ranging from the natural features of the Western hemisphere’s oldest rain forest and diving opportunities along coral formations, to numerous festivals and historic sites. Many of those sites, including several significant buildings within the capital of Scarborough, will be featured in the upcoming Heritage Trail program, which will take visitors on a trip back in time through a guided walking tour. She added that numerous investments continue into Tobago’s existing tourist attractions, including a $300 million upgrade to the renowned Pigeon Point Beach and the current construction of a facility for wedding receptions as well as a cultural and conference centre that will hold 5,000 guests.

“Tobago is open and ready for business,” summarized Jack.

Photo: Joel Jack, secretary of finance and enterprise development, and Tracy Davidson-Celestine, deputy chief secretary of tourism and transportation, both of the Tobago House of Assembly.