Here Comes the Sun and the Fun
'Live the Culture, Tobago Style’ for the Time of your Life
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: ANGELA SINTO
212.490.2098 sintoa@pmgroup.bz
New York, NY, April 9, 2014…Tobago, the smaller half of Trinidad and Tobago, the 116 square mile island is introducing herself to the U.S. travel market and making an outreach to boost awareness of the destination with a new logo, slogan and tourism initiatives.
Avion Hercules, director of marketing for the Tobago House of Assembly, the island’s tourism arm, blitzed New York City meeting with the media and with travel agents in her first effort to promote this highly regarded eco-tourism destination.
In a series of interviews Ms. Hercules said “We want to work with U.S. tour operators and increase our business through agents," She went on to explain that in this initial phase of Tobago’s market outreach in North America her purpose was exploratory, "We want the feedback from both tour operators and travel agents on their perceptions of Tobago. We have not been active in this market until now, but we have a good story to tell and sell” she concluded.
The new slogan ‘Live the Culture, Tobago Style’ is a reflection of the island’s quirky, rather British charm and is a reflection of what is unique about the island. This is where you will find laid-back life in classic Caribbean style that is far off the beaten track. Unlike neighboring islands with their brand name all-inclusive resorts, here you may head to the beautiful, secluded coves of the north coast and the unspoiled eastern side of the island, where you will find its award winning tropical rain forest that has been a protected park since 1776,1950s chemists’ shops in Scarborough and iced-coconut stands around the island. This is where you leave the crowds and carnivals behind in favor of tree-house restaurants and champagne at sunset.
Ms. Hercules shared that Tobago welcomed 400,000 air and cruise arrivals in 2013, the bulk of whom were from Europe. However, air connectivity from the U.S. has improved with Caribbean Airlines’ daily flight from New York Kennedy, American’s daily flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. What this means is that U.S. visitors can now reach Tobago in a day without having to overnight in Trinidad. “Tourism is so important to our economy and our sustainability we are focused on driving our tourism product and an awareness of it in the marketplace, especially the U.S.,” Hercules said.
“Tobago is a multi-ethnic racial and multi-religious society where the races co-exist in harmony and celebrates the nation’s rich cosmopolitan heritage. This is an island of year-round festivals, dive sites, wedding venues, eco-adventure programs and locals who are anxious to interact with visitors” she continued. "We have 3,000 guestrooms, of which 1,500 have been inspected and approved and the rest are in the process of being upgraded. We have 25 luxury villas, shore access everywhere”.
Tourism represents 47% of Tobago’s Gross Domestic Product and is the second highest employer on the island.
