INDUSTRY INSIGHTS TRINIDAD TRAVEL GUIDE

Responsible travel and sustainability are crucial to the future of tourism in Trinidad according to the CEO of Tourism Trinidad Limited, Carla Cupid, who is optimistic about the development of the sector in 2023.

Outlook Travel (OT): Can you talk me through the origins of Tourism Trinidad Limited and its initial vision?

Carla Cupid, CEO (CC): Tourism

Trinidad Limited was established in June 2017 as a state enterprise under the then Ministry of Tourism. The mandate of the organisation is to develop and market Trinidad’s tourism offerings and promote Destination Trinidad. We are in the business of attracting tourism investment into Trinidad. We do all of this while promoting education, awareness, and co-operation in advancing the expansion of our economy through tourism.

OT: What are the current travel and tourism trends in Trinidad, and how are you utilising them?

CC: Our natural beauty has already received high commendation from National Geographic as a family destination, inspiring journeys for all ages.

Our foodie culture has also been reviewed gastronomically by popular food blogger Mark Weins, and the videos from his trip have each received over one million views. Our strategy is to showcase, reach out and welcome, so we have a very active social media presence and have been on very successful trips to sell the brand overseas. Our first trip for 2023 was to the Netherlands, at Vakantiebeurs, where we took the message of visit Trinidad to the diaspora and European market.

We ensured that tour operators got a chance to see that our tagline of Trinidad, Always in Season, was not a myth and that we are accessible and aware of where the new markets are. This, coupled with KLM increasing its airlift to Trinidad, has been received positively.

OT: How do you market Trinidad’s tourism experiences and continue to position the island as a premier tourism destination?

CC: We have taken a number of steps in this regard.

We constantly highlight our unique experiences and showcase Trinidad’s unique cultural, natural and adventure experiences to attract travellers. We also build partnerships with travel agencies, hotels and airlines to promote Trinidad as a destination.

In this era, we utilise a lot of digital marketing platforms like social media, travel websites, and influencer marketing to reach a wider audience and drive bookings. We also do a lot of destination branding to create a strong and consistent brand image for Trinidad to increase recognition and attract repeat visitors.

On the back end through our Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts and other government ministries and agencies, we look at improving infrastructure such as transportation, accommodations, and attractions to enhance the overall experience for visitors.

Finally, we host events, cultural and sporting, to attract visitors and generate media coverage. This also lends to our sustainable tourism practices to preserve our unique natural and cultural heritage.

OT: What differentiates Trinidad as a tourist destination from other Caribbean islands?

CC: Trinidad offers much more than sun, sand, and sea. Our appeal covers a wider range of activities that can appease any feeling of wanderlust. We have festivals of food and grog, tours of some of the world most unique eco-sites, and a wider range of nightlife and other entertainment opportunities than most Caribbean