By Sue-Ann Wayow
WHILE Trinidad and Tobago borders have been opened up to accommodate travellers on airlines, cruise ships are still not allowed.
Carvalho’s Agencies is hoping that soon, cruise ships will be allowed at least on the island of Tobago.
A meeting is planned with the agency’s chief executive officer Charles Carvalho and Secretary of the Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation for Wednesday to discuss the possibility.
In a letter sent to Tobago’s Cruise Tourism, Carvalho wrote, “This meeting is of importance in discussing the way forward in view of the continued ban on the cruise industry of both Trinidad and Tobago.
“As agent for the cruise lines that visit the island of Tobago, Carvalho’s Agencies see this meeting as a positive step taken by the Division that would send a very strong signal to our cruise lines executives and itinerary planners for the ships, that the island of Tobago is taking a proactive approach towards maintaining their longstanding relationship with the cruise lines.”
He further told AZPNews.com on Tuesday, that the cruise line industry contributed highly to the economy and especially the medical fraternity as crew members and passengers may seek medical care with West Shore Medical Private Hospital being one to benefit most.
As the principal cruise line agent for the country, Carvalho said he tries to convince ships to visit both islands and not just one.
Also, as a person who regularly connects with others on the industry globally, Carvalho said that personnel in the tourism sector were active in their approach in satisfying the needs of the customer which was the foreigner and therefore, image needed to be maintained so that the cruise ships remember them.
“They make strong recommendations to the Central Government so that they have to be implemented,” he said.
However, it seemed as though such recommendations by the Tourism Ministry was lacking, Carvalho said.
” Trinidad it seems as though they have no recommendations,” he said.
“Tobago realises they have to protect their image,” he added.
As a direct representative of the cruise ships coming to Trinidad and Tobago, Carvalho said, details of the meeting will be shared afterwards but the main message was that Tobago needed the multi-million dollar industry.
The cruise season generally begins in October and ends in April and there was a thrust to have Trinidad and Tobago as a selected summer destination. All cruise ships were banned from entering the country since March 2020.
Last year, there would have been a line-up of 177 ships visiting either Trinidad or Tobago, he said.
Carvalho also lamented on deals not signed off on because he said cruise ships remember what was done for them by governments as well as what was not done.
“It takes a while to reignite the flame,” he said.
He mentioned that during the height of the pandemic which began in 2020, cruise ships were looking for places to dock and several large liners had approached Trinidad and Tobago for the opportunity to use the Gulf of Paria as their base.
That approval was not granted and the country would have benefitted greatly in terms of foreign exchange and the opportunity to showcase Trinidad and Tobago was lost.
