myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

Hi all
I have to give a presentation at a regional conference on sustainable tourism being held here in Tobago in April and would like to ask for your feedback on this subject. The development of tourism in Tobago has given little consideration to natural resource limitations, impacts on wildlife and indigenous cultures. What is your take ? As a visitor, what are your feelings on such things as the proposed golf course development at Buccoo wetlands ? Do you feel that tourists are encouraging prostitution and drug abuse ? or erroading local customs ? Are you aware of which hotels retain service charges as opposed to supplying such to thier local staff ? Here is an opportunity for you to give your opinion on Tobago's sustainable tourism in these area's or any other that you would care to talk about. Thank you in advance for your input.

Bob Brent

These are all important. I would certainly hate to think that my trip to Tobago had created problems for anyone locally. I can't say I noticed anything, but having stayed in Castara and Charlotteville I had the impression that my money was mostly going to local businesses. But some of the responsibility has to rest with the tourists. If we go to Tobago, stay in an AI run by a multinational company, and only venture outside on tours they (or a tour company) arrange, we're unlikely to be supporting the local economy.

But the government of Tobago can also help get this right.They decide what developments are allowed and under what conditions.

But I'd also think about :

- how far the hotels in particular are based in the local economy and how far profits simply leave the country

- the sustainability of the marine resources - if reefs are destroyed Tobago will quickly lose its reputation as a good place for diving and snorkelling. And ruining the sea through short cuts on sewage treatment would be very short sighted.

- the impact of development on wetlands is important, but if Tobago wants to build a reputation for the more sustainable end of the tourism market, businesses will also need to think about how they use water, how efficiently they use energy (hard when oil is so cheap I know!), and whether they make any use of renewable energy. Surely some opportunity for solar? I didn't notice any.

Is Golf really that popular that Tobago needs a third Golf Course? Does Tobago really need any man-made attractions on such a large scale?

The reason that Tobago is SO attractive to me is that it is one of the most unspoilt islands in the Caribbean?

I would hate to think that in years to come we will end up with a Theme park with rides and slides etc, just to attract tourism.

Tobago is attractive enough as it is thank you!

Steve F.

Hi Gabrielle and Steve.
Thank you for those responses.
Yes, there appears to be a large difference between the exapansion of tourism in the south compared to the more remote area's of the Island, which would be a reflection of the ease of access. I understand some of the larger establishments will have multinational owners and that drains some profits that may have remained within the local economy, but would the international airlines service Tobago without them ? And would you still visit the Island if it meant taking several different routed flight to get here?
I would personally agree with the Disney styled amusment park Steve, but what attractions would you want ? Or what attractions do you feel are missing ? What could the local community's out of work youth offer to you, that you would patronize on a visit here ?

I don't really have a firm opinion, just thoughts. First, the people of Tobago will probably want to decide how much to change their way of life if additional hotels, golf courses, etc. are built. Right now, I think Tobago attracts people who are not expecting Disneyland; may I venture that those of us who love Tobago are easy-going, appreciative sorts?
I understand that long-term plans call for a yacht harbor at the Hilton; when and if that happens, I will no longer go there.

i hope Tobago doesn't change too much. What's that song: You don't know what you've got till it's lost ... they've paved paradise and turned it into a parking lot.[/i]

Brent,
I forgot to add something to my previous post. You asked whether people would bother to take nondirect flights to Tobago.
Well, my husband and I have, for several years. Most recently, we must overnight in POS. It's a situation that puzzles me because my AA flight arrives at 8:50 p.m., yet the last Tobago Express flight is at about 9:10. No way can we clear customs in that time.
(By the way, Paul T. came through! What was projected to be 16 to 24 inches of snow has been reduced to 1 to 3 inches. That man does have a magic weather wand.)

Brent,

You set us on to some thinking about tourism and recreational development in Tobago. Our point of view is that of a few sun, sea and beach loving, diving and fishing tourists that like to be in a setting where there is no stress, no crowds and not to much exploiting of tourists.

The best way, in our opinion, to stimulate tourism in Tobago is just do nothing and leave things the way they are. Just maintain the infrastructure as it is and take care of the environmental problems like littering, structural dumping waist and spoiling the waters. Put effort in educating people, both tourist and native, teach them the values of nature and how rich Tobago’s marine life in fact is. Teach them that the forest and beaches are pure wealth. Stimulate local entrepreneurship based on awareness of the beauty, cultural wealth and abundant nature of Tobago.
But do not create space and possibility to develop new golf course, new or bigger hotels, etcetera. The beauty of Tobago up till now is the lack of tightly organized development within the boundaries of recreational business. The moment things get organized in a professional way (profit before nature, cost reduction, project building, quick win versus long term investments) tourism will surely grow, but not to the benefit of the Tobagonians or to the environment of the island. There will be another sort of tourists, the ones that like to stay in luxury hotels, that fancy taken care of all day long, that like to stroll along boulevards and who hardly see the beauty of Tourists like us will then avoid the island, looking for other unspoiled, not overcrowded or overdeveloped locations in the world.
History proves that tightly organized recreational development leads to the loss of the own identity. There’s a string of Caribbean (Leeward and Windward) islands that lost its identity due to the recreational business development. Just a few of them managed, through hard work and making the right choices, to maintain there own identity.

We have to admit, since November 2004, for us Dutch it is possible to reach Tobago on a direct flight. Before that it took us more then 20 hours from Amsterdam to Crown point.
On one hand we’re glad to fly directly. On the other hand it also means that more Dutch people can easily fly in. Some of them will enjoy the beauty of the island and some of them will be staying AI and never leave the surroundings of their hotel. But all together it means there will be more people visiting Tobago.
For us, going to Tobago was a choice based upon what Tobago had to offer; a rich marine life, the rain forest, beautiful bays and beaches and the fact that you can move around the island without seeing tourists everywhere. The past years we became friends with local people who took us into there homes and families. We hope this we can still enjoy this for many years.

Well so far in our opinion.. hope you can use it.

Regards,
Toine and Lia

Hi Cornelia, Toine and Lia.
Thank you all for your input.
What I'm having difficulty with is finding how small Islands like Tobago can balance low volume tourism against the increasing costs involved in sustaining an Island in itself. If your regular visitors here you should have noticed by now the alarming rate at which Tobago is losing it's valuble natural resources. Mangaing rain forests, wetlands and marine environments is no small or cheap task, especially when faced with the climate conditions in the world today. Mud slides are erroading the hillsides taking acres of forest with them. The soil is being washed into the marine environment killing coral formations and sea grass populations, which in turn has resulted in the loss of mangrove forests that can not survive against the encroaching Oceans. The entire Island is being destroyed by both climate and man. God forbid that we should have to face a natural disaster such as in Asia and Grenada, but the chances are real, and grow with each passing year.
How can a small Island state attempt sustainabillity while trying not to expand on visitor arrivals ?

hello all...
I'm sure the tobagonians don't want another golf course and the tourists don't need one. unfortunately it seems that noone here fights against these things until it is too late and they happen...might be because of a lack of information.
I don't know how to work against it. maybe all you touristes write an email to the tourism board...?
the money is the key. as usual. but don't worry about AI too much. the money might not go into other restaurants pockets, but who is working in ht eAI restaurants? where does every AI egg eaten come from? that goes in the local pockets, so it is not as bad as many think....
as long as you don't ALL go AI we don't worry
brian just said, that the golf course is not proposed but approved....
that would be too sad.....

steph

Brett,

You will probably know that you can’t get the right answers on this forum. The questions are too complex and can be seen from multiple angles. We are sure everyone who reads this section has the best in mind for Tobago and his beautiful residents. But we are also sure that there will be no suit to fit solution from one of us…..

When it comes down to making decisions, man has to focus on those items he can influence. The course of nature (weather impacts) isn’t one of them. There will be landslides, mud trails dropping in the ocean and maybe overflowing the coral. Just like it happened over and over the last million years. But what can you do to stop that? Apart from making people aware of the causes of cutting trees or harvesting rock and sand…nothing!
But the beauty of coral is that it will come back, it will take a while but it will come back as long as the waters aren’t spoiled. That too is the course of nature.
We think the course of nature is your smallest problem. Be prepared but don’t get scared.

We have to agree to Stephanie as long as a part of the money flows back in local pockets. But will that stay that way when multinationals get their eyes on Tobago’s development opportunities? Or will there be a plane landing everyday to deliver top dollar products for the happy few (like we saw, for example, on Aruba, one of the Dutch Caribbean islands).

Making the right choices is hard. The choices will not be made by man living the life of the ordinary Tobagonian. The voice of those who live the ordinary life would be evident, but probably not heard.
In all, we don’t have to much faith in politics and politicians (neither in Holland or Tobago) but without raising your voice, you won’t be heard at all. Getting heard is a task for both tourists and local business man who can stand up for the people he takes care of.

Brett’s effort on this forum is one that can get the focus on what going on. Use that!

Toine & Lia

THREE golf courses!!!!!!
As a tourist, for me the most important attraction of Tobago is it's environment, it's natural beauty.
Eco-tourism would seem to be the way to go with small sustainable, locally run development only. Areas of natural beauty protected and managed, like wetlands can be attractions in themselves.
Tobago also has a rich and fascinating history and culture and perhaps more could be made of this in terms of tourism and for the people of Tobago themselves.
There are so many highly developed holiday resorts throughout the world, places we always avoid. From a purely selfish perspective I would hate for Tobago to be just another concrete, golf coursed, money obsessed, crowded hell.
I must admit I've never understood the attraction of golf, but I am totally bemused by people wanting to play golf in the tropics. Fair enough getting all hot and sweaty walking through and experiencing the sights and sounds of a rain forest, but to get all hot and sweaty to hit a ball until it falls into a little hole... it makes no sense to me.

Hi All
It would appear that man has changed the weather, and I would say, for the worst. If we can find ways of increasing global warming, it stands to reason that we can also find ways to reverse global warming. As for the third golf course, or any other development project for that matter, tourism like any other industry, is supply and demand driven. The problem is that the demand for golf courses is higher than the demand for natural parks. The developers look for one thing, and one thing only, gaining returns on thier investment. If such developers could be show that there is a demand for natural parks, and that they could make larger profits from such, then these would be the things that they would look to invest in.

I don't want to sound like a 'kill-joy' or 'harbinger of doom' ... but the consensus out there indicates that global warming is irreversible and the reluctance of the US to sign up to 'the treaty' gives us little hope for improvement.

I feel that mother nature will find a way to cope with the problems, even if this means extinguishing the cause of the problem (i.e.; the human race).

It is not just corals ... it is also basic and indistinct life forms that happily exist in muddy riverbanks in the Thames (UK) and other rivers in more temperate zones. Just about every living being is going to have to deal with these issues ... or face extinction.

Question ... Are we concerned about the wellbeing of the human race or of the world?

Question 2 ... this debate looked really good when it started off with the 'sustainment of tourism' on Tobago ... in view of the points I have made, what best can we make of it over the next 50 or 100 years?

I honestly do not believe we can look too far ahead.

Regards ... (and sorry to depress anyone planning to live more than 50 years).

I agree 100% with Paul. The signs are that it is too late to stop Global warming, and we should not think that we ae in control all the time, as we are clearly not. You think that if you can start a fire, then you can put it out? Well you can set fire to a forest with one match. Think about that.

Tobago's reputation is one of unspoilt beauty. Do you think that you can make it more attractive by sacrificing that? It is a considerable risk to take.

As for demand, this is not what is leading the 'requirement' for Golf Courses. Whenever I have visited, the Mount Irvine Golf course has been mostly unused. I can tell where this is all going, because it has already happened in the UK right where I live. The River Thames used to be accessible to all, with small boatyards, pubs, retaurants and marina's along its length. Now most of the riverside stands empty of the original local community (who can no longer afford to access it) and is just lined with "Luxury Riverside Appartments". These are not for people to use, but to gloat about and impress their business colleagues.

There are already many similar examples in Tobago, and unfortunately before too long there will many more. They will require a little local help to maintain them, but will mostly stand empty for occasional corporate hospitality. This would not be tourism, this would be a takeover, and that is (I feel) what you need to avoid if you don't wish to regret forever that Tobago 'sold out' to attract wealthy visitors.

Any plush Marina's planned?

Steve F.

I agree with the previous comments and it appears that overwhelmingly those who love and visit Tobago find its natural unspoilt beauty its greatest appeal. Why spoil it with another golf course which few appear to want. Having just returned and seen the aftermath of the floods and landslides around Speyside and along the Atlantic road I feel the efforts should be concentrated on saving the natural environment not destroying it. I had a great deal of contact with Tobagonians and I was amused at some comments about the holidaymakers in the "posh hotels" "They live in their cosseted fortress for a couple of weeks, go home and know nothing about our culture and way of life" Doesn't that sum it up? Before you ask us, the tourists, how about asking those who live there permanently? They love their island, are proud of it and know that they are dependent on tourism but I cannot believe that they want acres of it turned into an unnecessary richman's playground when they already have 2 to play on. In whose interest will these developments be? The friendly welcoming Tobagonian people or the company shareholders far away in some foreign land?

agree with steve...we are passing mt irvine golf course on a daily basis. who is playing there? don't see them. and even at the tobago plantations you hardly see people playing (only if they have a tournament going on)... wonder where the demand is here...
i think they already build the hilton without demand...
Ii think you british call it "white elephants".....

Hi All

Mmmmmmmm.........

Granted at the present rate of knots mankind will turn this planet into the moon within a decade driven by a selective minority while the mases stand by and watch.

For intelligent beings we are really stupid

The whole point about my effort is that I'm not prepared to sit back, give up, and just let it happen. I love my kids. I owe them that much.
Granted, the problems are complex, diverse, and span the globe, and the vast number of ways that we can destroy ourselves and this planet with us are enough to give one a headache.

It probably is already too late.

It's not all doom and gloom. As the people of Naluvedapathy can tell you, there is hope. The planting of trees saved thier tails, and it might just be possible, that if we use the technologies available to us, we can find ways to reforeset this planet back towards a sustainable level.

Part of that jig saw puzzel, is to arm decission makers with information that can lead to more sustainable choices. Through this forum, and from
other sources, I can piece together such information, and get it to those decission makers.
The more comments there are about your individual wishes that Tobago remains comparativly unspoilt, the more weight to the argument. The more weight, the more leverage.
Solutions.
The solutions are even more complex than the problems themselves, but to simplify things, would you as visitors to Tobago get involved in local community activities while visiting here, what would get your intrest in things sustainable, and how involved would you be prepared to become in long term environmentally astute sustainable development in Tobago ?

Please keep the comments flowing. They are proving most useful.

Regards

Bob Brent

Some things I noticed concerning tourism on Tobago:

Safety:
- Boats and jetskies are going very fast and close to swimmers on Pigeon point.
- Experienced some hustlers who rub you in with aloe without asking and charge you 80 tt. Then try to sell you marihuana. Not nice.....
- Everybody wants money and wants to be rich like the tourists. The young people want a shining car, nice clothes etc. But they won't invest in a house or anything durable. This what I heard from a few worried older locals.
- The extended use of drugs by youngsters also seems to be a big problem. It seems very hard to find reliable workers for a guesthouse or small hotel as many young people spend their money on ganja and alcohol. They won't walk away from easy money. Source: owner guesthouse.
- A genuine exact roadmap would be very nice....
- Talking to some young workers at our guesthouse I noticed that there is some corruption e.g. Police will ask locals for favors if you have some money or they will not help you when in trouble.

In my opinion Tobago should offer exclusive quality tourism which will attract tourist who love Tobago for what it is: the genuine carribean experience.

Re:

Safety:
- Boats and jetskies are going very fast and close to swimmers on Pigeon point.

I agree that this is, in isolated cases, dangerously out of hand. I won't give exact names, but we saw a boat nearly kill a German tourist who was swimming at Pigeon Point. The pilot was not looking where he was going, and was doing about 25 knots or more, only 30-50 feet from the shore. The swimmer saw him coming and basically had to dive to the bottom to avoid being hit. When he surfaced, he was extremely shaken.

None of us knew how or where to report the incident.

My son referred to the boat as "Coco Maniac" from that point on in our holiday.

Is anyone responsible for enforcing regulations are adhered to to ensure the safety of the users of these beaches?

Steve F.

With regard to Steve Fifield's post above, we feel it is somewhat disingenuous to not give an "exact name" but then to make it fairly obvious to whom you are referring: we always applaud this site for it's honesty and openness, so please, be honest in expressing your opinion.

That said, we would like to respond to Steve's post; while we cannot comment on the incident in question since we are not aware of any such 'near-miss', we would like to make a couple of points:

Firstly, the entrance into the Bucco lagoon at Pigeon Point is extremely narrow, even at high tide. The waters are very shallow and the only navigable channel lies close to the shore (about 30-50 feet from the beach as Steve observes). Anyone regularly on the beach at Pigeon Point will observe dive boats, pleasure boats and various vessels using this same channel.

The shallow water and narrow channel mean that we cannot possibly pass through at 20-25 knots: we have to pass through at a speed which enables us to observe the depth of the water, any obstacles (including people), and in fact we usually have to raise our engines in order to make a clear pass. This is not an easy passage and it would be impossible to make safely, both for people in the water and our own boat, if the captain is not observing what is going on fully. What many people do not appreciate though is that a captain not only has to think about what is going on in front of the boat but also behind him at the engines, so glancing backward is necessary until we develop some eyes in the back of our heads.

Our business relies on snorkellers and water-lovers - as watersports operators and scuba diving instructors we are as sensitive as anyone to safety in and on the water. Marlon is a licensed boat captain: you might expect this to be the norm but many boat and jetski operators here are not licensed.... have a think about it: would you get on a bus where the driver did not have a driving licence? Thousands of people do get on boats here every year that are not driven by licensed captains. Moreover, jetskis are often driven by complete novices. We at Cocomotion have an impeccable safety record and intend to keep it that way.