Show us mettle

For sure the action announced by Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe is drastic, but there have been signs of malaise for a while now.

Tourism receipts are not what they could be. We lag far behind our Caribbean neighbours. Our annual arrivals have been put at about 325,000 a year, compared with 3.6 million in Jamaica alone.

Today, tourism contributes less than one percent of economic output in Trinidad and Tobago, while it contributes four percent of total output in Jamaica, six percent of total output in the Dominican Republic, and over 11 percent of total output in Barbados.

For a rich, diverse nation with an abundance of natural resources, this is a dismal performance. While our industry has been resilient over the years, it clearly has a long way to go. In a situation where there is a thrust to diversify the economy, there is a need for greater revenue from this sector.

The plan to close the TDC caught some by surprise, including trade unions that now accuse the Government of a ruse to shed the entity of union strictures. But it remains to be seen what rules will apply to the two bodies envisioned by Cabinet and what relationship, if any, they will have with modern industrial relations practices. For now, the charge is serious enough to warrant sensitivity moving forward, given the State’s track record at entities such as BWIA and Caroni (1975) Ltd.

The shutting down of the TDC is meant to clear the way for the formation of two separate entities, one for Trinidad and one for Tobago.

It is true both islands offer different tourism products. Tobago offers sun, sea and sand, as well as stunning nature resources. Trinidad offers a rich array of bustling culture, including Carnival and unique landmarks such as the La Brea pitch lake. But the premise that two separate entities are needed seems misguided when there can be clear synergies.

For instance, what is to prevent the State from offering up Tobago jazz with the Bocas Lit Fest – as suggested last Wednesday by that festival’s founder, Marina Salandy- Brown? Why can the Carnival experience not segue into a cooldown on Crusoe’s island? In truth, Trinidad and Tobago citizens have been enjoying the best of both worlds, straddling the attractions in both islands. We demonstrate how there is no need to section off these two different types of tourism. If we do this in our daily lives, why can’t we market this packaged experience? It is true that having a special enterprise for Tobago will potentially give the Tobago House of Assembly the control it may want on handling tourism. But it is unclear why the THA cannot have that autonomy under a one-corporation system.

We can only imagine specialisation will be another big reason why two entities might be preferable.

Yet, is a narrow focus on each island the way to go? Shouldn’t we compete with the experience offered in our neighbouring Caribbean islands by offering a unique package experience which cannot be obtained anywhere else? Thus, while it is clear the TDC is not working well enough and while we support the decision to close it down, we are not yet convinced of the merits of the measures which have been proposed to replace it.

The deeper issue is the need for a clear blueprint on the way forward.

We do welcome, however, the plan to set up a single body to implement standards across the industry.

This to us is essential and will help drive quality upwards. It is clear such a regulatory agency will have to be centralised to ensure uniformity and consistency. If the minister concedes the need for one single quality control, perhaps she might reconsider the dual track she has set us on.