myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

this forum offers plenty information for everybody, not only for visitors. Tobago business people and politicians can learn a lot from the forum. Also people from the airlines flying to Tobago could find interest in it. Airlines and Tobago depend on each other and I would like to see a dialogue between airlines, visitors and business people in this forum. It was nice to see a pilot from Monarch answering a visitors question. And it is good to know that the owner of one of the best airlines in the world realizes Tobagos potential. And the airport doesn't have to be that small forever - even if it sometimes seams to be this way...

Visitors and airlines can't be sure that the larger travel agencies offer a better service than each smaller accommodation or car-rental business. Tobago is a place where many individual persons travel to, persons who don't like the all inclusive hotels that much. Airlines can be sure that many people love this island, they want to book their individual holiday. Airlines can read the forum to see what is going on in Tobago. If there is something not okay like at Pigeon Point everybody will know. And visitors need information about flights. often they don't know how to reach the island. This is where airlines could step in to provide information. I guess it is worth it to be known as a airline who offers best service in bringing people to the island...

Here, here, Jorg!

Golden Caribbean check the forum regularly (wave, everybody) and have always been helpful re information on their Monarch flights. Virgin Atlantic has become very helpful of late and BWIA are hot on their heels. Whether these two monitor the forum is anybody’s guess.

BA simply doesn’t want to know. I have found it totally impossible to make contact with either their press office or customer relations. Thank heavens that Virgin have started a service to TAB. They, at least, seem to care what the public think about them.

More surprising is the fact that we have been unable to establish relations with Tobago’s official tourism industry. We ask for nothing, except lines of communication. Issues such as dengue fever, personal safety and the Pigeon Point situation need official response. Sadly, zilch! Neither TIDCO nor the THA respond to our emails, despite the personal assurance of the Secretary for Tourism, who assured us that we could contact him on any matter.

I find this situation very, very sad. I know things work on a different time scale on Tobago, but one must question whether the government are serious about tourism. One could be forgiven for thinking that they are not! I would even endorse the view that this would be good for the island if it were not for the issue of high unemployment.

If the government is serious, they ignore the comments and views of visitors at their own peril. myTobago.info is by far their best way of establishing these views.

myTobago currently handles between 550 and 600 Visitor Sessions per day – a total of 66,648 Visitor Sessions during the first four months of 2003. Those visitors read a total of 426,419 pages on the site. The “Who is Online” section at the bottom of the forum’s home (index) page shows that just two weeks ago, we had 24 users online at the same time. Have a look at this each time you connect to the forum. How often do you find yourself alone? Relate our readership to the 40,000 visitors that go to Tobago each year (an average of 110 visitors per day) and it really puts things into perspective.

Yes, our primary objective is to enhance the holiday experience of visitors. By studying the information provided in myTobago.info and listening to the comments of our readers, visitors will not only have a wonderful holiday on Tobago, but possibly the holiday of a lifetime. It is very easy to fall in love with Tobago. I honestly believe that this site increases the likelihood of this occurring. That has obviously got to be good for Tobago.

myTobago.info is an invaluable resource for everyone connected with tourism on Tobago. Where else can one get such a clear idea of how visitors perceive the island? Yes, an increasing number of businesses do monitor the forum, but there’s an awful lot who think it of no importance.

There is, of course, one very simple way that readers can help. Help us, help themselves and help future readers. It’s so simple: when next on Tobago, be sure to mention myTobago.info at every opportunity. Make sure that the management of your hotel or accommodation know that you read about them here. Tell your car rental firm, the restaurants you visit, tour operators, guides and every other business you use. Make sure that they know that people DO read this site and ARE influenced by the views and comments of other visitors.

It is only when business managers, and in turn the government, realise the influence of myTobago that they might get off their proverbial and actually listen to what visitors say. After all, stopping visitors using a particularly bad establishment is NOT the site’s purpose – getting that establishment to address their shortcomings IS. We love Tobago. This site has a true chance of helping the island to maintain and even improve on the very things that make us love Tobago so much. This site is working on behalf of EVERY GOOD BUSINESS on Tobago. For it to work, those concerned must first LISTEN!

What about chartering a plane - yes, mytobago-airlines must be founded! Captain Steve flying us on an Airbus, B 747 -or Concorde, if desire is short on time - towards the island! Round about 300 passengers on their way to the first "mytobago-forums-members-meeting" at the goat-race-circuit....

... but first we should build our own terminal building for all the passengers. The old one doesn't fit so much to a 747 or the Concorde. Sir Richard from Virgin may take the majority of shares, but it would be called Mytobago Terminal. Then we would rent it to the other airlines...

JFK once said: Don't ask what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country". Yes, there is a lot everybody can do - maybe it even doesn't have to be the terminal building...

Well, I've got about 35 hours on single engined aircraft and 5 on twins, so maybe I can rustle up a captain's hat. Mind you, I'm total crap at DIY (remember the burst water pipe three days before my last trip? [see post 'A Salutary Lesson'] ), so I better not get involve with building the new terminal. I could always swan about in a hard hat, I guess, and make the tea.

What about sailing? The "Sea Cloud" or something like this would be fine. Less risky for landing, and harbour-facilities are already there. Excursions towards Englishmans- or Piratesbay inclusive. Self-Catering by fishing possible. We should think of glass-botton for entertainment and some aditional local-business.

Sorry, Nick, but you'll have to count me out on that one. I get as sick as a dog just looking at the boats bobbing in the harbour, much less travelling on one. Mind you, Jill loves sailing, so maybe she could be the myTobago representative.

Ok. Last trail: A tunnel. As I remenber, there is something like this between Europe and Great Britain. Next step would be digging one between GB-Tobago. Roundabout 7000 kilometers (?). Divided through ca 200 members of maytobago info. Means 35 kilometers DDs (digging distance) per person. Is this mutch if paradies is waiting for you? Pah!
If sea-sikness-free Jill agrees, we will supervice digging-activities together from upper seaside.
Nick

Nick. I think you should most definitely move to Tobago permanently. You are obviously having difficulty coping with that Munic-Bavarian-Hofbräuhaus brew, my friend. Maybe the weaker Carib/Stag would be better for you.

I think I should also correct you about the tunnel. I know they said it was to be between Europe and Great Britain and we all thought that meant between France and England. It was all a scurrilous rumour. It actually runs from the Balkans to England, but don’t tell anybody.

Reading a german newspaper this weekend, I found the definite solution: Working for Richard Branson. Virgin-Boss bought an island for his employees. (called "Makepeace; 2.8 Mio Euro, close to Australia). If he does the same with Tobago (or Little Tobago), my letter of application is on the way the day after.

Nick. I now see why your signature block contains the statement "always aware of falling coconuts". Having been brought up in the tropics, I know that you NEVER sit under a coconut tree, but I guess they don't have very many coconut trees in Germany. All the evidence indicates that one fell on your head, so I guess you got caught out the first time you visited Tobago.

Anyway, how do you know that Sir Richard would buy Little Tobago? That's where he'd put HIS villa - the staff will probably end up on Goat Island (without a boat). I'm only joking, Richard - I know you're a nice guy (and I want to review the Virgin service to Tobago, so grovel, grovel, grovel, lick, lick).

Germany a country without palms and coconuttrees? Please forget what you have learned about blackwood-forest, bavaria & co! Better risk a look into an evarage german hous-garden! For example that one from Mrs & Mrs Mainau living at the "Bodensee" (pictures taken during wintertime). During summertime you would see lots of people having a picknick & wearing helmets, of course.

http://home.t-online.de/home/andi.voss/mainau2.html

Nick - that must have been some hangover. It took two days for you to recover and reply! That Hofbräuhaus brew must be stronger than I remember, because you failed to see the page caption (Palmenbilder ...) of the page you mentioned, or the captions under the photos (Palmensammlung im Palmenhaus, ...). You'll have to sit under a palm a very, very long time before a coconut drops on your head. Mind you, at least you'll be able to concentrate on more whacky suggestions.

Well, Steve, seems time to tell what's really going on down in my secret laboratory: I`m constructing a my-tobago-rocket! Engine driven by bavarian beer / coconut-milk or rum-punch (depending from fights-direction). Already bought some steel-pans for rockets body.
Coconut-helmets are under construction, too.
Carib showed some interst for sponsoring the first flight if I change fuel. Permission for landing on the tobago highway is proposed. Possibly rainforest would be better (smoother landing, but less provided catering and the expencive force to rent rubberboots...)
Learned already some essential things about stearing a rocket. A really big problem will be the change from right-hand to left-hand drive/flight. (When & where?)
Very important lesson yesterday - usefull conversation with the tower - Part 1. Example:
"Scarborough - we've got a problem!"

Nick

P.S. Sorry Jorg for disturbing your topic......

Nick

You've got to make another 35 posts before the official rank shown under your Name on each post changes to "Tobago Nut", but I think we would all agree that you seem totally qualified.

34 post left

Sorry, Nick - that one doesn't count!

Ohh - Jesus, that's not fair!
mmmhh.....Jesus? ....mmmhh... yeah (:smily with a flat hand hidding on its forehead) ...I remember something happening on a see long time ago ...... worth a trial?
Nick

Nick

Please stop this. You are ruining the reputation of the German nation. You are not supposed to have a sense of humour! Have you no respect for national stereotypes?

Steve,
you were absolutely right (but don't forget, there is not mutch to laugh about in Germany) , - never the less what happened yesterday in Riga? A world broke down - to me as one who always believed in the reputation of British Pop-Power. Zero (or just one ?) points - compared to this, 35 posting-points are nothing, even you get sometimes really wet.

Nick (grown up under the influence of Monty Python)

And now to something completely different?