Tobago tourism 'extremely dead' ahead of budget

Reginald MacLean, head of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association, expressed grim expectations for the upcoming Tobago House of Assembly (THA) budget, stating that tourism on the island is "extremely dead" and has been stagnant for more than three decades. He emphasized the urgent need for revitalization, including reopening major hotels and securing a long-requested loan guarantee.

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We have to get back the major hotels in Tobago into operation, and that loan guarantee that we asked the Secretary of Finance, the Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, and the Secretary of Tourism Zorisha Hackett for needs to be done. We need to get Tobago back in order.

"We have to get back the major hotels in Tobago into operation, and that loan guarantee that we asked the Secretary of Finance, the Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, and the Secretary of Tourism Zorisha Hackett for needs to be done. We need to get Tobago back in order," MacLean said. He warned that without operational hotel rooms, the island cannot progress, noting that Trinidadian tourists are the only thing preventing an even worse situation.

MacLean highlighted the dramatic decline in international visitors, from over 90,000 in 2005 to just over 11,000 currently, as evidence of long-term stagnation. He also pointed to issues with airline interconnectivity and called for the reinstatement of 24 daily round trips between Trinidad and Tobago, a pre-pandemic level. Furthermore, he urged reforms in land administration processes to speed up investment approvals.

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If we can’t get the rooms back in order on the island, we are not going to move forward. Tourism is extremely dead in Tobago, and if it was not for Trinidad tourists, it would have been even worse.

Curtis Williams, chairman of the Tobago arm of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, suggested that the construction sector could provide a short-term boost to the economy while tourism recovers. "One of the main things to stimulate the Tobago economy is construction. The economy has been sluggish for some time, so we have asked the Secretary of Finance, during our consultation, for an injection to get a development programme going," Williams said. He noted that many businesses are struggling to pay staff due to weak economic activity, with at least one major resort reportedly unable to pay employees for four months. The THA's Budget 2027 is expected to focus on completing ongoing projects under the "Pathway for Prosperity: Blueprint for Tobago 2026–2030."

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One of the main things to stimulate the Tobago economy is construction. The economy has been sluggish for some time, so we have asked the Secretary of Finance, during our consultation, for an injection to get a development programme going.