About myTobago

Background to this website and information about the authors

The Background 

Although born in England, I was brought up on a sugar plantation in Guyana (then British Guiana). The tiny island of Tobago, just 300 miles or so away, became our favourite holiday destination after an initial visit in 1959.

Following our return to England, I enjoyed regular holidays in the Caribbean, visiting a wide variety of islands. Although Tobago remained my first love, it offered neither the choice nor quality of accommodation that I enjoyed, so my visits were somewhat irregular initially.

In keeping with the laid-back ethos of the island, development has been low-key and discreet. Tobago’s most valuable treasure, its endemic population, are arguably the friendliest and most hospitable people in the Caribbean and remain largely untainted by the worst excesses of modern life. Since the mid to late '80s, a number of luxury hotels have opened. The standards of accommodation and catering are now high, and lack the pretension of some destinations. Having traveled so widely, Jill and I no longer have reason or desire to go elsewhere - Tobago has everything we need and want.

Following a stay at the Coco Reef Resort in January 2000, I published a website reviewing the hotel. The site included a forum so that visitors returning from Tobago could keep others updated about the hurricane restoration work that was being undertaken at that time. I never anticipated the wide readership that the site would attract.

Two years later we returned and updated the review. Rather than limiting the site to one Tobago hotel, we decided to turn the concept on its head and make it a site about Tobago, with reviews of hotels and other holiday accommodation. myTobago.info, was first published on 22nd April, 2002.

The Website

myTobago is the definitive tourist guide to Tobago. It is the ONLY comprehensive and honest guide to holiday accommodation on the island. We don't just offer a list of advertisers like most sites (including disingenuous sites that claim to be non-commercial while charging 'administration' fees for listing). We include EVERY hotel, resort, guesthouse, inn, apartment, cottage, bed & breakfast or villa that we can trace. Listing is not optional - if an establishment is open for business, it will be listed. To avoid editorial conflict or commercial pressure, we do not allow normal advertising or have any 'paid content'. The search engine advertisements displayed on every page involve no direct contract with the advertisers, so represent a vital source of funding without compromising our editorial integrity.

By 2005 the readership of myTobago far exceeded the combined total of every other information website about Tobago. In 2006 the site handled over a million visitor sessions and served nearly four million pages of information. Proof that myTobago is the first choice of the visiting public.

The success of the site constantly spurs our efforts. Most of our research is conducted during an annual two-month winter pilgrimage to Tobago, reviewing hotels, guesthouses, apartments and villas. It's a hard life! Our efforts would be nothing, however, without the support of our ever-expanding list of 'expert' contacts. Without their support we could never hope to achieve the standards of expertise and accuracy to which we aspire.

The Funding

I hope that the professional appearance of the site does not lead readers to question the nature of the project. It would take a psychiatrist to explain the motivation that leads me to put so much time and effort into myTobago, but the 'look and feel' can be easily explained: I am a professional e-commerce consultant and web designer. By nature I never do anything by half-measures and in a sense, this website has become a very public example of my work.

myTobago is a private project conducted at arms-length from my business. I happily declare that I do have a substantial and increasing number of clients on Tobago, but this is secondary to the site's purpose. Being a client DOES NOT influence the editorial views expressed and any client who attempts to exercise commercial or psychological pressure to gain unfair advantage is quickly shown the door. Please remember that our opinions, and therefore the usefulness of this site, are only valid while the public agree with us. If we were to start recommending unworthy businesses, this project would be rapidly doomed to failure.

The Future

If this website has persuaded you to visit Tobago or influenced your choice of accommodation, restaurants, tours, car hire or other aspects of holiday-making on the island, please mention it to those concerned whilst on Tobago. It is important that business owners and managers recognise the significance of the site and monitor comment here. Our forum is a very public way for visitors to air appreciation or voice grievance and the significance of the medium should not be underestimated. This is your chance to influence tourism on this beautiful island.

Enough said!   Please read on and enjoy our efforts......

    

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