By Sue-Ann Wayow
WATER based tours at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary and Buccoo Reef, Tobago can now resume at a 50% capacity.
This is in accordance with the recently published Public Health Ordinance on Sunday.
The tours can operate during the hours of 5 am to 2 pm with visitors at Buccoo Reef being allowed to swim.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts in a press release reminded operators that while visitors are on board their vessels, they must adhere to the usual health protocols which were wearing of masks at all times and keeping their distance from others.
Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell said, “I am very pleased that the tourism sector is getting a further ease in restrictions. When we first met with the Chief Medical Officer on the matter of allowing the tour boats to operate, he did say it was a possibility and I am happy that favourable consideration was given to the Ministry’s proposal for restart of these tours.”
Last December, Mitchell hosted a meeting with the Chief Medical Officer to discuss matters related to the safe restart of tour boats and subsequent to this submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Health on the readiness of this part of the sector to resume operations.
The ministry stated that at that time, all operators and staff were already trained by Tourism Trinidad Limited in the Covid-19 protocols for the tourism sector and were able to show how they had implemented measures to ensure the safety of their operations.
Additionally, tourism operators and staff were part of the Ministry’s Priority Vaccination Programme in July and August.
Mitchell added, “We continue to work closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure that the sector can operate safely by advocating on behalf of businesses similar to those who operate tour boats. The sector is set for recovery with more flights, more hotel rooms to be made available and general movement back to the types of activities that make for an exciting visitor experience.”
Mitchell continued to encourage all citizens to continue observing the three W’s (washing hands, wearing the mask and watching the distance).
