Destination News

Tobago Leverages UNESCO Designation to Boost Tourism Development

SCARBOROUGH Tobago, Wednesday October 28 2020: The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited celebrates the island’s latest achievement of obtaining UNESCO Man and the Biosphere designation, and welcomes the opportunity to leverage this milestone to develop and promote the island’s tourism product.

This programme aims to improve livelihoods in local communities, while safeguarding ecosystems. It promotes innovative approaches to the sustainable development of green and blue economies across the globe, and the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.

Mr. Louis Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at TTAL stated:

“The Man and the Biosphere achievement is a welcome catalyst to spur growth in Tobago’s sustainable tourism development, which is a core focus of the Tobago Tourism Agency. It will undoubtedly auger well for our destination’s international appeal in the new era of travel, and enhances development that aligns with our brand of unspoilt, untouched and undiscovered.”

This international designation strategically aligns with TTAL’s existing environmental programmes which have been instituted in partnership with accredited global bodies. Earlier this month, TTAL acquired Blue Flag pilot status for three of Tobago’s beautiful beaches, and a week prior to that the Agency was featured on Green Key International’s website for their efforts to raise the standard and quality of sustainable products in Tobago.

Commenting on the timeliness of destination Tobago’s latest milestone in light of the ongoing pandemic, TTAL’s Director of Product Development and Destination Management Mr. Narendra Ramgulam, stated:

“This news comes at an ideal time for Tobago, as it presents a beneficial tool for economic recovery in a post-COVID era. Trends indicate that travellers will especially now be seeking out safe and clean destinations. As an approved WTTC ‘Safe Travels’ destination, Tobago has already taken the necessary steps to meet the demands of the traveler of tomorrow, and we welcome this opportunity to further enhance our appeal as an environmentally conscious destination.”

First Winter Season 2020 TUI Flight Arrives in Saint Lucia from the UK

CASTRIES, SAINT LUCIA (October 28, 2020) – Tuesday October 27 marked the return of TUI to Saint Lucia. TUI’s winter weekly direct flights from London Gatwick to Hewanorra International Airport will run through to March 2021.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the travel company has flown to the island showing its commitment and confidence in the tourism authorities and people of Saint Lucia. By continuing to manage Covid-19 protocols, Saint Lucia has been included in TUI’s long-haul programme for 2020-21 as one of only three Caribbean destinations featured.

As Saint Lucia continues its phased responsible reopening, 182 passengers and crewmembers from the UK on TUI flight TOM24 were welcomed at 16:10 AST, with a full complement of safety protocols in place including the wearing of masks, screening at a Nurses Station, verification of travel documents and sanitizing of hands and luggage.

“We want to thank our people again for their continued commitment to maintaining our Covid-19 protocols. It’s not an easy task but it’s necessary and is one of the reasons why major travel brands such as TUI support Saint Lucia year after year, even in these most challenging times. Our international visitors have now come to understand the importance of our health measures and checks when they visit us. We know that they choose Saint Lucia because they feel safe and of course they are going to have a great time.” said Minister of Tourism Honourable Dominic Fedee.

The hotels in the TUI programme include:

• The Royalton
• Hideaway at Royalton
• Mystique by Royalton
• Rendezvous
• Bay Gardens Hotel
• Bay Gardens Beach Resort
• Harbor Club
• Bel Jou
• Sugar Beach
• Starfish
• The BodyHoliday

A second weekly flight begins from 5th November from Manchester in the UK, serving the North of the country. 

Travellers to Saint Lucia are encouraged to ensure that all travel documents are on hand when at the nurses’ station, immigration, and customs in an effort to expedite screening processes.

For more information about Saint Lucia’s COVID-19 response, all protocols and details of requirements prior to entry, please visit www.stlucia.org/covid-19.

Preparing tourism sector for borders reopening

Port of Spain, Trinidad – Wednesday October 21, 2020 – Tourism Trinidad Limited (TTL), in collaboration with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), hosted a Train the Trainer Webinar: COVID-19 Health Guidelines for Reopening the Tourism Sector & the Tourism Health Information System. Designed for a wide range of tourism stakeholders, this webinar provided a comprehensive understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as protection and safety measures. This training is a crucial step in the overall preparation for eventual reopening of the destination to international travellers.

One of the key messages from the virtual training was that tourism stakeholders must deliver simple, easy, healthy, and safe experiences for all visitors to Destination Trinidad as we navigate through the coronavirus pandemic. Over two hundred (200) tourism stakeholders took part in this program on October 14th.

Tourism practitioners were briefed regarding best practices to be implemented to restore the confidence of the travellers through regional safety and security protocols designed to reduce risks in each step of the tourism value chain. These protocols include the implementation of check procedures where appropriate, including temperature scans, testing, physical distancing, enhanced frequency of cleaning and the provision of hygiene kits for safe air travel, hospitality services and safe events.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Trinidad (Acting), Mrs. Heidi Alert, “this training was essential for the industry to emerge stronger and more sustainably from COVID-19. At this time, we must act decisively to restore travel confidence in a safe and responsible manner. It sends a clear message that we care deeply about the health and safety of both our citizens and visitors”.

“The CARPHA training complements the wider tourism resilience training that we have engaged COSTATT to deliver to transport operators, tourist attractions, hotels, tour operators and food and beverage facilities to prepare for when the time becomes appropriate to reopen borders and once again welcome visitors. This retooling of the tourism sector will give Destination Trinidad an edge in its marketing activities”.

Mrs. Heidi Alert further added: “We are also thrilled to be working more closely with CARPHA, the leading regional public health response to COVID-19,  to roll out to the industry the online Tourism Health Information System (THiS) that will make successful tourism organizations eligible to receive the Caribbean Travel Health Assurance (CTHA) Stamp, adding further assurance to travellers about their commitment to their health safety.

The advantage of this Stamp is that it provides measurable and verifiable recognition that tourism businesses are implementing the recommended proactive COVID-19 health monitoring and safety measures and is, therefore, an excellent marketing tool”.

Established in 2011 by the Caribbean Community Member States, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is the recognised single regional public health agency for the Caribbean. The main objective of CARPHA is to strengthen and reorient the Caribbean’s health system approach so that our island states are better equipped to address the rapidly changing nature of public health challenges.

CONTACTS:

Corporate Communications & Stakeholder Relations Unit | Tourism Trinidad Limited | Phone:  (868) 612-7412 Ext. 1805, 689-5198 | Email:   smitchell@visittrinidad.co.tt

Belize Introduces Updated Tourism Industry Protocols

Belize City, Belize (Monday, October 20, 2020) – As Belize moves forward to fully reopen and rebuild our tourism industry, the health and safety protocols for tourists continue to be reviewed and updated. At a press conference held on Friday, October 16, 2020 further relaxation of the restrictions on movement of visitors were announced by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow.  The following are the updated protocols that are now in effect for the tourism industry:

• The Safe Corridor for tourists has been expanded to include all Gold Standard and Certified entities including hotels, tour operators, restaurants, tourism sites, gift shops, car rentals and taxis.  While Tourists can therefore move around freely, they are highly encouraged to remain within the safe corridor by visiting and using only those entities that are Gold Standard Certified and the certification is displayed and clearly visible.

• Tourists are to reserve and stay only at Gold Standard hotels. Therefore, only hotels that are Gold Standard certified are included on the Belize Health App for Tourists to select. The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) will only be promoting and partnering with these properties that have implemented the recommended health and safety protocols to protect guests and have therefore attained Tourism Gold Standard Certification.
• The Tourism Gold Standard Program that is currently in place for Hotels and Tour Operators will now be offered to other entities within the Tourism Industry including Tourism sites and attractions, Restaurants and Gift shops. In addition, Car Rentals, Taxis and other approved transport providers will continue to be offered a Certification under the Tourism Gold Standard program.

With the updated entry requirements for Belize:

1. An application to enter Belize is no longer necessary. Therefore, all Residents and Tourists are free to travel to Belize at any time.
2. Residents and Tourists that arrive with their negative PCR test or test negative at the airport, no longer need to quarantine for 10 days.
3. The requirement to download the Belize Health App and complete the information within 72 hours of arrival in Belize remains mandatory for all incoming passengers – Residents and Tourists.

The BTB reiterates the importance of health and safety measures for residents and visitors and assures you that the destination is committed to ensuring that all health, safety and sanitizing protocols are observed, as we rebuild tourism for Belize.

Visitors are  encouraged to visit https://www.travelbelize.org/health-safety for information on the arrival and departure processes. For questions or concerns, kindly contact the Belize Tourism Board at info@belizetourismboard.org.

Barbados welcomes back year-round service from London Heathrow

This weekend marked the inaugural flight of the relaunched year-round daily service from London Heathrow to Barbados on British Airways after a hiatus of more than 15 years. The airline’s four-class Boeing 777-200 safely landed in Bridgetown on Saturday 17 October to a warm Bajan reception, with the Royal Barbados Police Force Band playing the arrivals off the plane.

Cheryl Carter, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.’s (BTMI) Director for the U.K. was on board, leading a delegation of 19 British travel agents and media who are on island to experience the destination and share their experiences with travellers back home. On receipt of their second negative COVID-19 test, the group’s itinerary will immerse them in the heritage, culinary and soft adventure landscapes of Barbados, from catamaran cruises to tours of historic Bridgetown, and dining at a number of the island’s best restaurants.

Carter commented that “We were so excited to welcome the inaugural British Airways flight from Heathrow to Barbados on Saturday. The aircraft featured brand new livery throughout as well as the new BA Club Suite. It was over 80% full, with families, remote-workers and couples hugely excited to escape the coming winter and see a bit of sun!

This service will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter, with its seamless connections across the United Kingdom and Ireland, and of course from major markets on the European and African continents, during what has been a tumultuous year. With our new entry procedures in place, balanced against the low case numbers seen on the island, Barbados promotes the wellbeing of all; and we are confident that it is a safe place for travellers globally to enjoy the sun, sea and sand and authentic experiences they may have been missing this year.” 

Making its comeback just in time for the busy October half-term period, the service will boost the already daily flights from London Gatwick, which run from October 2020 until April 2021. Celebratory touches, such as a complimentary glass of champagne for all travellers were enjoyed on the flight and the necessary protocols of hand sanitisers and mask wearing were enforced throughout the flight.

Journalist Renate Ruge, who was also aboard, remarked that “the excellent service expected from BA didn’t disappoint – cabin crew remembered small details like tea or coffee preferences despite a busy plane. The seating options including business class and first with two larger luxury cabins promised extra comfort, especially for the return night flights.”

Fellow writer, Albert Evans, agreed. “While in normal circumstances the flight would have felt crowded in light of the pandemic, the fact everyone on the plane had a negative test put my mind at ease. The arrival in Barbados was characteristically warm and the additional bureaucracy caused by COVID was dealt with quickly and efficiently. The UK could certainly learn a thing or two.”

Melanie May, a writer for the Irish Independent, joined the flight and noted, “With its afternoon departure, it makes it very easy to get a connecting flight from Ireland. From Dublin to London to landing in balmy Barbados, every step of the way was seamless and safe. The many safety protocols in place felt reassuring and the crew should be commended for ensuring a safe travel experience for all passengers.” 

Chelsea Cousins from Northern Ireland Travel News agreed and added, “Connecting from Belfast City to Heathrow and then on to Barbados was quick and straightforward with complete comfort and exceptional customer service from the cabin crew.”