Trinidad Dissolves Tourism Development Agency

Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Tourism announced “provisional arrangements” for the management of its local tourism sector following the government’s decision to end the operations of the country’s Tourism Development Company (TDC).

TDC will cease operations “without prejudice” on August 21, said government officials in a statement. In its place, the Ministry of Tourism will manage, on an interim basis, four tourism portfolios previously directed by TDC: investment and incentives; cruise passenger visitor services; airport visitor information services and sites and attractions.  

In March the dual-island Caribbean nation’s tourism minister, Shamfa Cudjoe, announced the government’s plan to dissolve TDC, replacing the cooperative agency with separate organizations, one with responsibility for Trinidad and the other managing tourism initiatives for the smaller island of Tobago.

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The cabinet of Dr. Keith Rowley, Trinidad & Tobago’s prime minister, has since opted to create three agencies: the Tourism Trinidad Destination Management Company Limited (to be known as Tourism Trinidad); the Tobago Tourism Agency and the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Regulatory and Licensing Authority.

“These three entities are intended to act as catalysts for the sustained development of Trinidad and Tobago’s tourism sector,” reads the statement, “and present us all with an unique opportunity to move our tourism product forward in new and exciting ways.” 

Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) data reports Trinidad & Tobago hosted a combined 408,782 land-based visitors during 2016, a 7.0 percent decline from 2015. The dual-island nation hosted 82,698 cruise ship visitors in 2016, a 4.1 percent year-over-year increase.

READ MORE: Trinidad & Tobago Completely Revamping Tourism Strategy

The revamping of the country’s tourism administration is viewed as an effort to develop clear tourism product and service standards as the its importance to the nation’s economy grows. The oil-producing nation is increasingly turning to tourism amidst the global downturn in energy prices.

The country’s tourism ministry has also created a Stakeholder Relations Unit which can be reached at 625-0963/624-1403 Ext. 227 and 251 or via email at stakeholderrelations@tourism.gov.tt.