by Brian Major
Last updated: 3:38 PM ET, Mon April 14, 2014
The dual-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is best known among North Americans for its annual Carnival celebration. But Trinidad, and especially the smaller sister island of Tobago, feature stunning natural wonders including picturesque waterfalls, tall green mountains, coral-laden reefs and white-sand beaches.
Global marketing for the destination is the responsibility of Avion Hercules, director of marketing for the Tobago Division of Tourism. She sat down recently with TravelPulse to discuss the island's multiple air links, opportunities for soft adventure, a new travel app and cultural activities she says are not found elsewhere in the Caribbean or even across the world.
TravelPulse: What type of organization is the Division of Tourism?
Avion Hercules: This is a government organization with responsibility for several items dealing with tourism, education and agriculture on the island. I am employed by the Tobago assembly's division of tourism and transportation.
TP: It Tobago easily accessible by air from North America?
AH: From the USA, we are fortunate to have a weekly flight from JFK direct into Tobago non-stop. The flight leaves on a Sunday and gets in five hours later on Caribbean Airlines, our national airline. The good news with respect to flying to Trinidad and connecting to Tobago is that we've got several other airlines serving the country.
Caribbean Airlines has two daily flights leaving New York-JFK into Port of Spain. Jet Blue has just started service into Port of Spain a month ago and we have United Airlines coming from Newark and Continental coming from Houston. We also have American Airlines coming from Miami. Caribbean Airlines also serves the destination from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. So in terms of connectivity to the country, we have the airlift. Direct flights have you here in only five hours.
TP: If there are no international flights to Tobago, how convenient is it to connect from Port of Spain?
AH: When coming in by Port of Spain, there is a shuttle provided by Caribbean Airlines that run every 45 minutes to Tobago. It's only a 20-minute flight, by the time you are up it's time to get down. It's a $50 charge, and I think that is a very good value. So if you come into Port of Spain, you can connect to Tobago in the same day.
You no longer have to overnight. It's no longer necessary. The last flight to Tobago leaves at 12:45 a.m. That has been in effect for just a little over three years now, because of the issues we have been having with people having to overnight. You can now get to Tobago in one day.
TP: What steps are you taking to reach out to potential leisure travelers?
AH: We just launched in November a travel app, a travel guide that can be found at Apple stores. You can also find it at the Google online app store. It gives you sort of a 360-degree view of what you can do and where you can stay and things about Tobago. It positions the island of Tobago.
We are a twin-island destination. The app promotes the island of Tobago. What we like to tell people to come and experience culture Tobago-style. Information on the Tobago brand of hospitality and style of hospitality and the interaction with locals is something that you would find in the app. When you come to our destination, you see how we do things Tobago style. It's the rhythm of our language; we have a sing-song language.
It's the rhythm of how we move and how we celebrate. It's the flavor of our food and spices. It is a state of being. People tell you good morning. It's not because you are a visitor, but just because that is what we do.
TP: What truly unique activities does Tobago offer?
AH: In Tobago there are some distinct things that you will not find anywhere else in the world. We are one of the few destinations in the Caribbean and the world that can boast a goat race festival. We have an unofficial holiday, Easter Tuesday, where offices will give staff a half-day off and we will go to the area of Bucco which is famous for these races. We will go to this area and watch the goats being raced. It's not the Kentucky Derby, but for us it's pretty cool. The goats have jockeys and go through a whole period of training. It is a serious, serious activity. The goats are fed a special ration, are walked the way people walk their dogs. The goats can be seen wading in the morning and taking their training. This is a festival that is over 80 years old and has grown to be a fantastic attraction not just for visitors but for locals."
TP: Trinidad and Tobago have traditionally attracted more Europeans than North Americans. Is that changing?
AH: We see the U.S. as an emerging market for us. We have never fully tapped into the U.S. as an option, but we're getting more visitors from the U.S.: travelers who are looking for romance travel and destination weddings. Tobago really is a picture-perfect destination with amazing nature and beautiful panoramic views of the ocean.
Tobago is also the perfect destination for the eco-adventure traveler. We have the oldest protected rainforest in the western world. It's important from a tourism point of view and for our island watershed. There are trails for hiking. We have 210 species of birds on Tobago and we have a bird sanctuary. We have fantastic dive sites, more dive sites per capita than anywhere else in the Caribbean. We have more than 40 dive sites. We have drift diving and wreck diving, we have bioluminescent bays. You can do 365 days of water activity. We have activities that appeal to everybody.
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