Tgo bookings mixed for public holidays

Anticipating an increased demand for flights between Trinidad and Tobago during this period, the national carrier added 162 extra flights to its domestic schedule between June 16 and June 27.

Caribbean Airlines (CAL) normally operates 20 daily flights on the air bridge. Most of the additional flights on its ATR planes are scheduled to operate on Monday, June 24, June 26 and June 27, when travellers are more likely to want ‘return’ flights.

A check of CAL’s website yesterday indicated several sold-out flights, especially on Monday and June 26.

While this was welcome news to the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association (THTA), its president Carol-Ann Birchwood-James told Newsday she only learnt of the additional flights via a newspaper ad.

“I would have preferred if CAL had informed the THTA of its plan in advance, so our members could have promoted it to potential customers. Areas like Crown Point in the west tend to do well during long weekends, especially if the airlift is increased but proper promotion of these flights could have made a difference for members in the less popular areas of Tobago,” she said.

The THTA president’s own hotel, Canoe Bay Beach Resort, located close to Crown Point, was at 90 percent occupancy as of yesterday but Birchwood-James said this had little correlation to CAL’s extra flights.

A similar story was at Crown Point establishment, Tropikist Beach Hotel and Resort. Front office receptionist Nikesha St. Louis said it is almost “completely” full and have been since the beginning of June. “We usually have lots of bookings for long weekends,” she said.

Not so much however, for Bananaquit Apartments on Store Bay Local Road, Crown Point.

Owner Dennis Best said while they typically get more bookings during holidays, “not many people have confirmed for this Labour Day weekend. On the other hand, we are at least 50 percent booked for the Corpus Christi weekend.”

Best said June is usually a slow month for THTA members, as people prefer to visit Tobago after their children’s exams are over when they can spend more time on vacation.

Bookings for the upcoming public holidays have been even slower along the quieter east coast.

Executive director of Footprints Eco Resort and Spa in Culloden Bay, Mia Persad-Douglas said there were more calls than normal from people interested in reserving rooms this Father’s Day/Labour Day weekend. But the calls did not reflect a hike in reservations.