tobago tourism limited

TOBAGO HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

Tobago launches new Go To Market Strategy and Destination Imagery

• October 26, 2018

Tobago’s “Go To Market” Strategy and Destination Imagery was unveiled by the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) to the media and local stakeholders at the Mt. Irvine Bay Resort on Wednesday October 24, 2018.

“Tobago Beyond Ordinary” is the new tagline for the destination, with three pillars that will guide the new branding- unspoilt, untouched, undiscovered. These pillars reflect the core appeal of the island which lies in its lack of commercialism, friendliness and warmth of its people, and authenticity.

The Tobago Tourism Agency developed this brand identity for the destination to be used in different source markets and form the basis of all marketing campaigns, after extensive collaboration with the island’s tourism industry stakeholders, and utilising the latest market intelligence and research.

CEO of the Tobago Tourism Agency, Mr. Louis Lewis, addressed the audience at the event and gave some insight on the development of the new branding strategy.

“We developed a roadmap to guide us clearly from where we are to where we would like to go. One of the things we identified was that it was difficult to establish what is the unique selling proposition for Tobago. But we discovered that in places where we perceived to have a weakness, it was actually a strength. The island is not as developed as competitors, so we interpret that as unspoilt… it’s a bit of a secret, so we know it is undiscovered… we have a very pristine environment, so we interpret that as being untouched.”

The strategy includes the promotion of four distinct cornerstones of Tobago’s appeal, and the platform on which the Agency will be selling Tobago: Seas and Beaches; Local Culture, People and Heritage; Eco Adventure and Nature; and Romance and Weddings.

The Agency’s unveiling was well received by the various stakeholder groups present at the event, such as local village councils, tourism youth groups, NGOs, and senior officials of the Tobago House of Assembly, including Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles who delivered the feature address, and Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Transportation, Councillor Nadine Stewart-Phillips, who also delivered an address.

“Beyond the new branding of Tobago, we are ushering in a new way of approaching tourism,” Secretary Stewart-Phillips stated. “It is only with a renewed orientation toward service delivery, preservation of our environment, display of our culture and heritage, and the pursuit of a new strategy for marketing based on our core attractors, that we will achieve the transformation and economic successes that tourism presents.”

Guests were treated to live entertainment against the backdrop of the sun setting over Mt. Irvine Bay, and were encouraged to engage in networking activities to foster closer relationships and collaboration between the varying stakeholder groups who all hold a common interest in the growth of tourism in Tobago.

The event was also used as an opportunity to launch a social media engagement campaign, whereby persons can use the hashtag #101ReasonsTobago and #TobagoBeyond on their social media posts, to share what they think makes Tobago unique, and why people should travel here.

As stated by the TTAL CEO, Mr. Louis Lewis, “We believe it’s the start of a positive transition for Tobago. We want to draw more attention to the destination in the travel trade to increase our arrivals, our on-island visitor expenditure and the level of economic activities.”

About the Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd.

The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) was established by the Tobago House of Assembly as the execution agency responsible for driving the rejuvenation and competitiveness of tourism in Tobago.

The core mandate of the TTAL is to lead the (re) development of the island’s tourism product and the marketing and (re) positioning of Tobago as a premier

The Agency’s main functions will include, but are not limited to:

• Strategic destination marketing
• Product management and development
• Destination Management
• Business development in relation to cruise and aviation
• Foreign Direct Investment
• Regulation and monitoring
• Business advisory services
• Institutional development and capacity building through education and training
• Facilitating industry education and training

To find out more about the Agency, please visit our official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ttaltobago/ or Destination Tobago’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/visittobago/.

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What’s Next for Tourism in Tobago?

Tobago like other Caribbean islands have been economically impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, however stakeholder consultation and collaboration is “key to the rebound of the tourism sector.”

That’s according to newly appointed Tobago House of Assembly Tourism Secretary Tashia Burris, who told Caribbean Journal recently that she has been in office approximately two months and has spent the greater part of that time in direct stakeholder engagement to better assess the environment in which the office operates.

“Additionally, as the formal stakeholder engagement series winds down, a larger cross-industry meeting will be held where the data I have collated from the individual engagements will be presented and then we will agree tentatively on key points that will serve as the pillars upon which the rejuvenation plan will stand,” she said. “I also look forward to regular open dialogue with industry stakeholders to ensure that plans and policies are relevant and effective.”

The 36-year-old tourism secretary, said that during her meetings with the Tobago Hotel & Tourism Association (THATA) and the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) in January, covered areas of focus for the way forward, including the reestablishment of the tourism standing committee, enhanced domestic marketing and ongoing conversations towards standards & regulations and increased airlift.

With regards to upgrades on hotel room stock on the island, she said this was critical to any product throughout the tourism life cycle, as enhanced and increased quality room stock offerings will translate into growth and expansion of the industry.

“This area of product development is one that we recognize as crucial and as such, through the Tobago Tourism Agency, we continue to facilitate for accommodation providers on the island the Tourism Accommodation Upgrade Program which is a tourism incentive project that provides a partial reimbursement to eligible tourism accommodation properties for upgrade work. Of course, we are also focused on doing the necessary work and collaborations to attract foreign direct investment in this regard as well,” the tourism secretary said.

Burris said she had no updates on the $74 million Marriott-branded hotel in Rocky Point, which is expected to be constructed by 2025.

“When that announcement was made by the last administration, there were no submissions from the developers for environmental clearance and other necessary approvals and to date, as far as I am aware, those requests for approvals are still outstanding,” she said.

The pandemic has shown the world that the way of doing business and attracting investment must be done differently and it’s against this background, that Ms. Burris identified that both the Division and the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited must now focus more intentionally on the island’s domestic market (Trinidad).

“Indeed, our largest source market at this time for leisure is our neighboring sister isle and this must be taken into account during this pandemic as we design new marketing efforts and strategically chart the rebound of the sector,” she said.

International travel only reopened last month after almost two years.

That included the return of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, which both resumed flights twice weekly to the island.

“The resumption of the international flights has seen us experiencing stable international arrival numbers on each flight since their return to Tobago,” she said.

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TTAL teams up to represent Tobago at TIC

Posted Aug 25, 2022

The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) is representing the interests of destination Tobago’s tourism industry as they exhibit at the Trade and Investment Convention (TIC), currently taking place at the Centre of Excellence in Trinidad from August 24 to 28, 2022.

In just 20 years, TIC has facilitated multiple trade deals, hosted thousands of international buyers and exhibitors, and earned a reputation as one of the Caribbean's premier business-to-business events. A team of officials from the Agency, led by Executive Chairman Ms. Alicia Edwards, is attending the convention with the objectives of forming new business linkages, capitalizing on B2B opportunities, and networking with over 300 international buyers and potential business partners - including delegates of Trade Missions from major international markets.

Tobago’s representation at TIC is a collaborative effort between TTAL, the Tobago Festival Commission, the Division of Finance and the Economy, and the Tobago Carnival Committee, as the island’s stakeholders unite to promote the destination, and reassure attendees that Tobago will continue to be open for business.

Ms. Alicia Edwards, Executive Chairman of the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited stated:

“The Agency’s presence at TIC 2022 is critical to us helping equip Tobago’s tourism stakeholders with the necessary tools, opportunities, and industry linkages to successfully navigate the future of travel and tourism. Collaboration continues to be one of the Agency’s core values that guide our strategic Roadmap for Recovery post COVID, and so we will continue to join hands with both the private and public sectors to establish a cohesive destination identity, and position our unspoilt, untouched, undiscovered island for sustainable success”.

Visitors to the island’s “Tobago Beyond” branded exhibition booth will have the opportunity to learn more about the upcoming Tobago Carnival in October from members of the Carnival Committee, and find out all they need to know about booking a trip to Tobago – from accommodation to tours – from representatives of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association.

The Trade and Investment Convention launched with an official Opening Ceremony on Wednesday August 24, and continues from Thursday August 25 to Saturday August 27, 2022 at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya with the convention open daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm. For more information on TIC, please visit the official website at www.ttma.com/tic

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Tobago tourism agency chairman: No word yet from THA on new CEO

Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd (TTAL) executive chairman Alicia Edwards says the agency is awaiting word from the THA executive council about the recommendations for the position of CEO.

At a virtual parliamentary Joint Select Committee (JSC) sitting last Wednesday, member Laurence Hislop asked Edwards for an update on the filling of the vacancy.

She said, “We have gone to market for the CEO and we would have completed the process with the selected recruitment firm. We would have passed those recommendations as a board to the secretary for approval by the executive council and we are still awaiting their final feedback on the matter.”

Hislop, a PNM senator, also wondered if a CEO was necessary.

She said, “In terms of whether you need a CEO, you always need a CEO because a CEO provides leadership to the organisation and makes sure there is operational efficiency.”

Edwards said during the past year, the agency was not left on autopilot.

“We have been able to complete our work plan for the last year. We have been able to set an aggressive work plan for this fiscal year and we continue to operate until that is settled up.”

She congratulated members of the internal TTAL team, the agency’s board and wider stakeholder groups for supporting us through this time of transition.

“But we do look forward to the matter being settled on our end.”

At a virtual media briefing, last July, Edwards announced that the previous CEO, Louis Lewis, had resigned after five years on the job.

She said he submitted his resignation in June and it was accepted by the board. It took effect from August 12, 2022.

On that occasion, Edwards had said, “His contract is actually not up. His contract comes to an end in 2023, but he was not interested in a renewal, and thereafter he would have submitted his resignation. His last day at work is actually August 12, so he is actually CEO and in place until August 12.”

At a plenary sitting in April, Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris said a new TTAL CEO was to be appointed in May.

She said after Lewis’ resignation, a process started to recruit a replacement.

Burris said, initially, it was anticipated that this process would take approximately six months.

“The official recruitment process has been completed. A report from the board was forward for executive council consideration and a decision was made.

“An offer would be made and upon acceptance of that offer, the person will be engaged and an official announcement will be made.”

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Tobago wins big at International Travel and Tourism Awards

Posted Nov 06, 2019

The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited’s destination marketing campaign, “Tobago Beyond”, won the Silver Award for “Best National Tourism Board Campaign” in the International Travel and Tourism Awards presented by WTM at Magazine London on Tuesday November 5, 2019.

Tobago outshined four other finalists to cop the prestigious award, bypassing destination campaigns "Incredible India" , "The St. Kitts Shout Out" , “Azerbaijan: Take Another Look”, and “Feel Slovenia, Experience Croatia”. The recipient of the Gold Award was Tourism New Zealand. Tobago also placed in the top three amongst eight finalists in the "Best Destination Campaign - Country" category earning the third place "Highly Commended" title.

Mr. Louis Lewis, CEO of the Tobago Tourism Agency, stated:

“I am very excited about getting this award, and being recognised as second in the world. This accolade is bigger than just the Agency- it’s about where the destination is going and how we are comparing against global competitors.”

Present at the event to accept the awards was a joint delegation led Chief Secretary the Hon. Kelvin Charles, which included Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Transportation Councillor Nadine Stewart Phillips, Tobago Tourism Agency Limited officials, Tobago’s PR firm Gravity Global, and UK destination representatives AMG Ltd.

Commenting on Tobago’s incredible wins at the International Travel and Tourism Awards, the Chief Secretary stated:

“I think that this is a most wondrous and fantastic moment. After two years, the fact that a small island comprising approximately 65,000 persons, with a Tourism Agency only two years old, can husband the limited resources given to it and win in such a prestigious award setting says a lot for the potential of the people of Tobago, and of Trinidad and Tobago. I take this opportunity to commend and congratulate the Tobago Tourism Agency, the Division of Tourism, Culture and Transportation and the Secretary, all the stakeholders in the industry who have contributed, and of course those who are aligned to the Office of the Chief Secretary, for a collective effort that has resulted in what we are celebrating here tonight.”

Secretary Stewart-Phillips echoed the sentiments of the Chief Secretary and expressed her delight at Tobago receiving the internationally acclaimed awards.

“I am elated and extremely proud that the destination has received this notable silver award and highly recommended ahead of other top destinations in the world. These accolades are as a result of strategic branding, effective marketing and a collective effort. Tobago Beyond Ordinary has taken the world by storm, registering millions of impressions on social media and other digital platforms and this was all possible through the synergies and hard work of the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited and Gravity Global who were the creative minds behind this campaign.”

On August 3rd, 2012 the Government incorporated the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Business Development Limited (TTTBDL) with a mandate to administer the Tobago Tourism Development Fund.

In response to the difficulties, including falling visitor arrivals, faced by some hotel and hotel-related businesses in Tobago following the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, the Government instituted a framework for maintaining the lending operations of banks for the tourism sector.

In May 2012 the Government established the Tobago Tourism Development Fund (TTTDF) with a capitalization of $250.0 million with an initial capital of $45.0 million.

In June 2012, the Government established the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Business Development Limited (TTTBDL) to administer the Tobago Tourism Development Fund and assigned the responsibility for managing the TTTBDL to the Export-Import Bank of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (EXIMBANK).

Government agreed that the subsidy on the prime rates of interest charged by financial institutions for new and restructured loans should be 5.0 percentage points.

Effective June 2013, the TTTBDL began to issue Letter of Undertakings to financial institutions which were providing hotel and hotel-related businesses with restructured facilities or with new loans to upgrade and maintain hotels and hotel-related businesses with a cap valued at the equivalent of 50 hotel rooms.

Under this structural arrangement the Letters of Undertaking represented guarantees to financial institutions whose clients had businesses in Tobago.

In the case of default by anyone of those businesses, the financial institutions would be able to call on the Guarantee which was backed by cash.

TTBS and TTAL Forge Partnership to Revitalize Tourism Certification Programme

From left: Mr. Rodney Ramnath, Manager Certification Division, Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS); Mr. Jose Edwardo Trejo, Executive Director, Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS); Mr. Phillip Robinson, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL); and Mr. Wendell Walker, Director Product Development and Destination Management, Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL)

Scarborough, Tobago – May 8th 2024 – In a significant step towards enhancing the quality and competitiveness of Trinidad and Tobago’s tourism industry, the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) and the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) have entered into a three-year Service Level Agreement (SLA) to relaunch the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Industry Certification (TTTIC) programme on the picturesque island of Tobago.

The signing ceremony, held at the Scarborough Office of TTAL in Tobago, signifies a renewed commitment to excellence in the tourism sector. Under the TTTIC Programme, tourism operators are assessed against national standards, ensuring conformity to regulations, infrastructure, equipment, competence, management, quality, and health and safety protocols.

From left (back): Ms. Yannicka Brown, Standards Officer II, Certification Division, Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS); Mr. Rodney Ramnath, Manager Certification Division, Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS); Mr. Wendell Walker, Director Product Development and Destination Management, Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL); and Ms. Kirsten Cowie-Irvine, Product Development Officer, Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) From left (front/seated): Mr. Jose Edwardo Trejo, Executive Director, Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS); and Mr. Phillip Robinson, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL); and

Speaking at the event, Mr. Philip Robinson, Interim Chief Executive Officer of TTAL, underscored the importance of TTTIC for the island’s tourism sector, “The TTTIC programme sets the bar, for the minimum standards of quality tourism operators must achieve and maintain in their operations.”

Mr. Jose Trejo, Executive Director of TTBS, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the programme’s role in standardizing and elevating the quality of tourism offerings; “TTTIC serves as a beacon of assurance to visitors, guaranteeing that legal requirements and quality standards are meticulously upheld.”

The TTTIC Programme aims to achieve several objectives, including improving and standardizing the quality of tourism products and services, increasing visitor confidence, and enhancing the competitiveness of tourism operators in the international arena. Additionally, it provides a framework for sustainability and differentiation of Trinidad and Tobago’s tourism product.

Mr. Trejo emphasized the collaborative nature of the partnership, stating, “Today marks a significant milestone in the realm of tourism excellence as TTBS and TTAL commemorate a renewed partnership. Together, we join hands to build a culture of quality and propel our nation to even greater heights on the global tourism stage.” With sixty-four certifications issued since 2018 in Tobago, primarily focusing on the accommodation sector, tourism operators are encouraged to embrace the TTTIC programme and strive for excellence in every facet of their operations.

For further information about the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Industry Certification programme, please visit the TTBS website at https://gottbs.com/tttic/ OR the TTAL website at https://tobagobeyond.com/corporate/trade-resources/tttic .

TTBS Media Contact TTBS Certification Division: TTBS Phone: +1(868) 463-0803, +1 (868) 662-8827 ext. 2221/2225, 2230 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

TTAL Media Contact Marketing and Communications Department Phone: +1(868) 612 8825 ext. 2002 Email: [email protected]

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