At the core of tourism lies the movement of people from a tourism-generating area to a tourist destination. Building on this, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine convened a town hall meeting with stakeholders to discuss the future. Among raised concerns, hotelier Carol-Ann Birchwood-James highlighted the necessity to revive the tourism standing committee under the Prime Minister’s purview, encompassing key stakeholders such as Caribbean Airlines.
The stakeholders agreed that the air bridge brings visitors who are willing to spend more money in Tobago. However, they are not satisfied with Caribbean Airlines’ management of the airbridge. Former Assemblyman Gerald MacFarlane pointed out that past initiatives should be considered.
The stakeholders also suggested a revisit of the early 2000s initiative of wet-leasing aircraft on the airbridge. The Chief Secretary proposed establishing the Tobago Transportation Agency, involving stakeholders to drive transformative changes.
