Trinidad and Tobago - Travel and Tourism Trinidad & Tobago - Travel & Tourism
Overview
Trinidad’s bustling ports, industrialized economy, and high crime differentiate the country from the region’s traditional vacation island image of white sand beaches and turquoise water. Unlike the economies of neighboring islands that are driven by throngs of vacationing Americans and Europeans, industrialized Trinidad lacks any all-inclusive resorts.
The economy of Tobago—the smaller, prettier, and heavily-subsidized other half of the twin-island republic—is driven by tourism, both domestic and international. Once seen as the honeymoon mecca for British newlyweds, Tobago’s stature has slipped in the face of competition from other better-equipped neighbors, including St. Lucia, Barbados, and Grenada, and its international arrivals have fallen by 75 percent in the past 10 years.
Although tourism is a stated government priority, it remains very much a work in progress. Of the 375,000 arrivals that Trinidad and Tobago attracted in 2018, most are business travelers and niche tourists, including carnival revelers, wildlife enthusiasts, and yachters. 42 percent of those visitors are from the United States. According to TT’s Central Statistical Office, the average length of stay is 14 days with an average visitor expenditure of $1,500.
Substantial declines in energy prices since late 2014 have rekindled economic diversification discussions, but the core challenges of the tourism sector, like labor shortages, customer service, accommodation, transport linkages, and crime must be addressed first.
Leading Sub-Sectors
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Shopping
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Medical tourism
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Festivals and events
Opportunities
There are opportunities for businesses that can supply hotels with skilled employees. Business trips and conferences are one of the main targets of TT’s hospitality industry. Companies that arrange business conferences may find opportunities in the TT market.