Instead Secretary of Tourism and Transportation Tracy Davidson-Celestine and Minister of Tourism Stephen Cadiz and their teams are to meet regularly to discuss tourism in Tobago, while the Secretary will meet with Tobago tourism stakeholders for regular discussions.

This was announced by Chief Secretary Orville London in a recent interview. The committee comprising the Minister of Tourism, Secretary of Tourism and tourism stakeholders in Tobago was chaired by London and met monthly to discuss issues affecting tourism in the island.

London said it was important that the Secretary of Tourism should take full responsibility for all matters having to do with tourism in Tobago. The Chief Secretary met Cadiz last week Tuesday in the absence of Davidson-Celestine to discuss the country’s participation in ITB 2013, the world’s leading travel trade show to be held in Berlin from March 6 to 9.

London said the meeting discussed the level of collaboration between the Ministry and the Division to ensure that “we will be able to optimise this opportunity”. He added: “The German market is primarily tourism oriented, primarily Tobago oriented and therefore we were able to impress upon the Minister the need for us to take a concerted approach towards this whole process.”

He said even though Trinidad and Tobago was going to be marketed that focus both from the perspective of the Ministry and the THA and even the Tourism Development Company (TDC) should be on enhancing the Tobago product.

Davidson-Celestine will lead a Tobago contingent of entertainers and tourism stakeholders to the show.

Meanwhile the Tobago House of Assembly will discuss a motion on tourism when it meets for the second time in the 2013-2017 session on Thursday (28th February 2013) at 1.30 p.m.