tourism and it,s effect on tobago.

[M-Williams]

tourism and it effects in tobago.what can we do to encourage,as well as discourage the good and bad of tourism in tobago?

[M-Williams]

If you dont want peace,dont stay here.If you dont want excellent and affordable accomadations,dont stay here.If you dont want cheerfull and courtious service dont stay here and last but not least If you dont want to be happy when you leave tobago dont stay here.sherwood park apts a dream come true.ant quetions about this apartments can also be answered by me via email or on this site......

[Paul Tallet]

I was going to respond to this because the first post (albeit vague) seemed to have the makings of a very good long term debate about the effects of tourism in Tobago.

But I am confused because the 2nd post draws our attention to the Sherwood Park Apartments.

Or have I missed a point somewhere?

Marvin, could you clarify?

Regards

[Joe King]

I get the feeling a few too many rum punches were consumed in Tobago over the festive period...

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Guys

Marvin actually works at the Sherwood Park Apartments. I have met him and know how enthusiastic and welcoming he is. Like many people on Tobago, he is taking his first steps into the world of e-commerce and while he knows the name myTobago, probably didn't quite appreciate what the site's about. I guess he got carried away in his enthusiasm. The rule about no self-promotion has now been explained to him but as a genuine demonstration of the sort of staff attitude that has made SPA so popular, I decided to let the post stand.

Anyway, welcome to the forum, Marvin. Your contribution is always welcome and I hope you continue to monitor the board and answer visitors questions. Obviously being Tobagonian you will be able to answer questions that most of us won't know the answer to, so we look forward to hearing from you.

[M-Williams]

I must firstly apologise for the self promo of the establishment at witch i work in tobago and to say that i now copletely understand the use of which this forum is to be used.Saying this,my topic"tourism and it's effect on tobago".I chose this topic to get your responses on what can we the people of tobago can do to keep tourism,something we can depend on for a long time to come.A major topic was the the preservation of the islands natural look,by this i mean controlled constructions without destroying the main thing people come to see, which is the the islands in its natural beauty,trees, vegetation etc.I can highlight more point but iwill like to get your feed back on some things that can change as well as things that can remain the same.cotact me via email lets us correspond about this topic.

[Cornelia Montgomery]

Hi, Marvin,
I can't think of much that needs to be changed on Tobago to make tourists happy. My husband and I will be there next month for our sixth visit -- obviously, we like it as it is.
Any suggestions I have are minor: I wish there were fewer potholes on the road. We're from the U.S. and are used to driving on the right, so having to concentrate on driving on the left while dodging potholes can be nerve-wracking for us. On the positive side, rarely do local people honk at us to move faster. In Boston, where I live, everybody is impatient, and honking rudely is common, but then it's a big, fast-paced city.
I also think it would be nice if there were a sort of trolley that traveled a route and stopped at various places so that tourists could get on and off as they choose for a set price every day. I've been in cities that provide such service, and it's very popular. I think that would encourage tourists to get out and about.
You have a beautiful island, and I thank you for welcoming us. Only about 32 days until I'm there again.

[M-Williams]

Iwill be sending a memo to the chief secretary about further improving the roads not only for tobagonians but for tourists also.So work on roads have started but there are still a few problems with some major detour roads and also majour roads,after the THA tobago house of assembly elections on the 15th,i'm hoping that the issue of better foads in tobago will be better addressed and dealt with.

[Steve Wooler]

I couldn't agree more, Marvin - but don't hold your breath. Every year I come and steer around the same potholes in the road that I remember from the fist times I visited Tobago back in the 1950s.

Mind you - we don't want too much to change, do we? I know I've got a bit of a nerve saying that, but the honest truth is that I wish nobody knew about Tobago.

[M-Williams]

I can also say that poor workmanship is the main part of the problem when coming to road repairs.That's why education on tourism should be a very important subject for tobagonians,because being uneducated about this subject and its importance to tobago can be a major destruction agent to tourism and its survival in tobago.We must understand that this industry though productive is very agile,and its survival not only depends on the naturalness and beauty the island posseses,but also the way we treat and give service to those that come to experiance it.

[Steve Wooler]

So very true, Marvin.

[M-Williams]

And most of the work in educating needs to be done with the youths of the island,cause they are the future of tobago and tourism in tobago.

[Jane H]

Hi all,

We didn't have any real problems with the potholes on Tobagan roads (if you have experienced the state of the roads around here on the Gloucestershire/Oxfordshire borders you would understand why!), but we did find that road signage was a bit unpredictable to say the least. I know it's only a small island, and you can't go far without finding the sea, but we did end up on some fairly "rural" roads ie unmade tracks, by mistake because of misleading signs. Still - we saw some wonderful countryside, and got lots of friendly waves from local people!

Looking forward to doing it all again soon.

Jane

[PaulineC]

Hello Marvin

Congratulatons on living in paradise. Here in England it is cold, rainy and tomorrow it's Monday morning again and I have to face a 60 minute drive to work through the traffic.

My view, for what it's worth, is that you shouldn't change anything at all. Not a thing. The wonderful thing about Tobago is that visiting it is gives you afeeling you really are experiencing just a little bit of real Caribbean life. There are thousands of places in the world with all-inclusive hotels, sandy beaches, watersports, etc etc. Not much of the money generated goes to local people - most ends up in the pockets of the big hotel and restaurant chains. Don't repeat their mistakes.

Personally, we loved the windy roads and potholes (anyway - what potholes - I've seen much worse in South Gloucestershire) loved the restaurants with no menus, loved the people, and especially loved the laid-back way of life.

So - my respectful suggestions would be:

Preserve the coral reefs and stop any further damage at all costs
Ditto the rainforest and wildlife
Ban all motorised motorsports, especially banana boats (sorry - I appreciate this will be controversial, but those manic waterski-ers really are a menace)
Continue with excellent specialist services, eg Ali Baba, King David, Frank's glass bottomed boat tours and many others
Appoint Steve Wooler Head of Tourism with immediate effect

Hope to see you in 2005

Pauline

[M-Williams]

Thanks for the feed back.my view is to still improve the roads,but i'm definitely going to note also the fact about the water skiers,i honestly did not know that was a problem to the tourist bathing at the beaches. if there's anthing you would like to see improve still send your suggestions to me.

[SJKeeler]

Small business development. Funding and training to help people in Tobago establish and market their own businesses. What I find so attractive about this island of paradise is that you can really get to know the people who live there. You can fish with them, hike with them, and tip back a few at the end of the day with them. The government must continue to empower the local people to build the tourism industry at the scale they are currently doing so. This means money, of course, and perhaps a small business development center where people can get the education they need to learn to operate and market their own businesses. Because I would rather poor my money into the local economy and people than into the corporate coffers.

[M-Williams]

you are so absolutely correct i could not have put it any better.you sound as if you haave visiited already so is there anthing you would like to see changed about tourism in your mind.anything atall even if it's very small and, it would be nice if you can also say why.

[SJKeeler]

One thing that comes to mind is a dining and entertainment guide. The dining guide could include the menus of participating restaurants so that visitors can choose those that best suit their tastes. The entertainment guide could be a flier published every week that is distributed to hotels that lists what is happening and where. It could include bios of performers, as well. In terms of overall marketing efforts, Web site development for local businesses is key. I know on my first few visits to Tobago I depended on the Web to do my research. I tended to choose car rental companies, sailing charters, etc. that had Web sites where I could get information. The presence of a Web site, in some way, made me feel that the business was reputable.

In terms of new specific services, I really can't think of any. I'm not a big shopper on vacation, so that's not an issue for me. I like to buy local art and crafts so Tobago is perfect. Your island offers all the modern conveniences while maintaining a cultural experience unlike any other place in the Caribbean I have visited. I echo what many people on this forum have said -- it's all about the people, and Tobagonians are the best!

[M-Williams]

That's not a bad idea, but on the side of the entertainment guide there is usually small leaflets around festive times given to hotels telling of the time and activities thereof.Tobago is very slow when compared to other islands,eg, TRINDAD,nightlife.Our nights seems to be on point around special holidays or season,{Carnival,Easter,Tobagofest and Heritage},just to name a few....If night life to you might be going to a local bar,have some drinks and local old talk,then you are in luck.The other good thing i must say is there is a talent show i'm hoping you must have bin to here in your visits, scouting, which pretty much livens up the mid week.....Other than that kareoke at diver's den fridays are the only two things to look forward to duing what i will call normal time.