TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO - Caribbean Tourism Organization

must incorporate sustainable tourism into the national social and
economic policy framework with a focus on:
■ local engagement with the industry;
■ start-up support and technical assistance for entrepreneurs and
SMEs;
■ ensuring that money from Travel & Tourism benefits all
stakeholders, rather than remaining in the hands of a few major
players;
■ partnership with the private sector so that developments, new and
old, fulfil government targets for social and economic development.
There are several community-based tourism projects in Trinidad
and Tobago, and these should be supported and encouraged. Examples
of best practice both from inside and outside the country should be
identified, so as to produce models for the further development of such
projects in Trinidad and Tobago.
Linkages
Many have argued that the know-how to create linkages between Travel
& Tourism and the rest of the economy is well established, but that there
is a weakness in implementation and execution of the effort. WTTC
recommends that efforts and resources be dedicated by the tourism
ministry or the TDC to guarantee a focused approach to establishing
effective linkages between Travel & Tourism and the rest of the
economy. Such a focused approach could include:
■ promoting public awareness of the potential linkages between
Travel & Tourism and other sectors such as agriculture and
manufacturing;
■ educating those in other sectors of the needs of Travel & Tourism
so that high-quality products can be sourced locally by the
industry;
■ encouraging the use of traditional skills and products in the
development of the industry.
HIV/AIDS
Trinidad and Tobago has one of the highest annual HIV incidence rates
in the Caribbean. Over the last decade, the number of reported HIV
cases has doubled.
According to the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS), the potential economic impact of HIV/AIDS, which
includes lost savings, investment, labour supply, employment and an
increase in expenditure on health care, could amount to 5 per cent of
Trinidad and Tobago’s GDP by 2007.
The impact of HIV/AIDS on tourism development could
therefore be significant, and the Travel & Tourism industry will need to
act proactively to address the issue. Although the horrors of this disease
and its impacts can be quite overwhelming, there are some inspirational
programmes within the region’s Travel & Tourism Industry that offer
great hope.Two such examples are the work of the Caribbean Tourism
Health, Safety and Resource Conservation Project (CTHSRCP) and
Quality Tourism for the Caribbean (QTC).
WTTC encourages all stakeholders to use the CTHSRCP and
QTC as leading examples, and address HIV/AIDS head on, seeking out
help and assistance when and where necessary to make a difference for
their employees, the industry and humanity.
Safety & Security
Tourist safety and health are two of the strongest forces driving change
in the Travel & Tourism industry today.Although crime is on the rise in
Trinidad and Tobago, it generally takes place within a few high-risk
areas, so the risk to most of the population and tourists remains low.
However, perceptions of crime and harassment have a great power to
damage a destination’s image abroad. Just one high-profile incident could
seriously hinder the country’s tourism development and promotion.
Plans to reform the police service are already underway and
WTTC would urge all Travel & Tourism stakeholders to continue to
lobby government to ensure that change takes place as a matter of
urgency. Increased manpower, more rigorous enforcement of the law,
and investment in crime prevention programmes, are vital to the
successful development of the Travel & Tourism industry.
Furthermore, the government and private sector stakeholders
should work together to:
■ communicate the importance of Travel & Tourism to the media so
that crime stories are not sensationalized;
■ undertake a public awareness campaign to dispel the image of the
tourist as an easy target;
■ put measures in place to minimize tourist harassment.
DEVELOP THE HUMAN CAPITAL
REQUIRED FOR TRAVEL & TOURISM
GROWTH
In 2005,Travel & Tourism in Trinidad and Tobago will account for some
96,539 jobs – around 33,771 jobs directly with the industry and a
further 62,768 jobs in sectors linked to Travel & Tourism, such as real
estate, construction and retail. Travel & Tourism has the potential to
create jobs at all levels of society and the economy – from bar staff and
chamber maids in hotels, to guides and taxi drivers, as well as top-level
management in tourism enterprises. It is a labour-intensive, qualitydriven
service profession, which depends crucially on the skills level and
professionalism of the workforce to make the sector productive and
competitive.
However, while Travel & Tourism growth provides the opportunity
for the creation of sustainable jobs, the current negative perception of
employment in tourism, plus training facilities that do not match supply
to demand, provide a severe threat to this opportunity. Moreover, as the
Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) comes into force,
Trinidad and Tobago will face increased competition from other labour
markets.
It is also important that the government understands the impact of
the social welfare schemes it has put in place over the past few years.
These schemes, such as the Community-based Environmental
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