May 2016 Financial News

T&T looks for larger share of tourism

May 16, 2016

CEO of the Tourism Development Company (TDC) Keith Chin says despite the challenges to growth in T&T’s tourism sector, the experience gained as an active player in the global sector better positions this country to claim a larger share of the global market.

In remarks at the launch of a Tourism Health and Safety Symposium at the Teaching and Learning Complex, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Chin underscored the TDC’s commitment to its mandate of developing and marketing T&T’s tourism products.

“Like many of our world’s industries today, the tourism industry operates in a globally-competitive environment. In fact, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, tourism is the fastest growing global industry.

“Operating within a US$1000 billion industry, destination T&T is competing with global and regional players with vast years of experience in tourism under their belts.

“But as any good marketer knows, the key to success as a late entrant or as the underdog, is to adopt distinctive positioning and innovative marketing strategies and to exploit gaps in the market,” he said.

“The TDC has identified key market niches that we can tap into as a destination, namely: culinary tourism, festivals and culture tourism, eco-tourism and sport tourism. We have several special offerings in each one of these niches to attract visitors to our shores.

“To successfully promote our tourism products to the world, we have to put on our product development and quality control caps.

“We must ensure that our tourism products meet and exceed quality standards—in some cases we may even have to set the standards.”

Chin said the conference was held at a time when stakeholders were taking critical look at the products and services offered to visitors to make destination T&T the preferred choice of regional and international holiday markets.

From accommodation providers, tour guides and tour operators, tourist taxi drivers, restaurants, bars, street food vendors, community tourism groups and hospitality and tourism students all had a role to play in the promotion of T&T tourism globally.

“This is why the symposium was designed, to help understand what you need to do to protect the health and safety of your guests and customers and to equip you with the knowledge to develop and implement sustainable standard operating procedures in the industries within which you operate,” he said.

“Our intention is to host these tourism health and safety symposiums on a quarterly basis for the edification of all tourism operators in our country.

“We are on a mission to transform the tourism industry in T&T. It has been postulated repeatedly over the years that tourism has the potential to be significant revenue generator for T&T’s economy.

“It is especially important now, as our economy craves new and diverse sources of revenue.”

Source:
Sean Nero
Trinidad Guardian
Monday May 16, 2016

http://www.guardian.co.tt/business/2016-05-16/tt-looks-larger-share-tourism