PAOLO KERNAHAN
TOURISM has always been the low-hanging fruit that all administrations have treated like pommerac – it’s nice to look at but too much work to make it palatable. Additionally, any discussion about tourism is usually drowned out by arguments that the sun, sand and sea sector can’t approximate revenues generated by oil and gas. It’s not supposed to. A modern tourism economy isn’t meant to supplant the petrochemical sector, but complement it.
Peak season for tropical destinations like ours begins in December. If we make the right moves, we can ramp up tourist arrivals for the winter season. This column has been banging this gong for a long time because tourism revenues can get into the bloodstream of our ailing economy a lot faster than any of the oil and gas “deals” currently being explored.
A key benefit from a thriving tourism sector is the immediate infusion of life for hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, street vendors, taxi drivers and tour operators. Our mix of cultures and the way they’re expressed in music, food, art and theatre, our unique geography and, above all else, our people – no other Caribbean nation can come close to our layered, lush tourism experience.
Trinis, when we’re ready, are a premium product. There’s a naturally occurring warmth and geniality, we’re always keen to open our homes to outsiders. That’s a vibe that’s not as common in other countries.
When I produced local TV shows on TT’s wildlife, culture and history, friends would often "dump" their visiting relatives on me because they knew my work had me perambulatin’ all over the place. I became an unofficial tour guide for places like Kernaham Village on the east coast, Cedros, Icacos, Toco, etc.
Invariably, my charges were blown away by the experiences, even if there was nothing to eat on location, nor were there any restrooms available other than tall grass.
This country, because of the qualities I’ve described, has become a foreign content creator’s paradise. They earn money on platforms like YouTube and TikTok based on their video views. They can also earn money through sponsorship and brand deals. There are creators who keep returning to this country because it is seemingly a limitless source of material for clickable, scroll-stopping videos.
As someone who has travelled this country extensively, I can say without fear of contradiction that we have an infinite number of ways to share our island experience with the world. Content creators, digital nomads, yachties, eco-adventuring, food and heritage tourism – we’ve been sitting on a considerable source of forex revenues for too long.
Given our economic constraints, our tourism marketing budget is probably meagre. On the positive side, in today’s age we don’t need a multi-million dollar marketing juggernaut to make the most of the 2025 winter travel season. Audience attention is magnetised to social media. For the time being, focus on a social-first marketing strategy. This species of campaign can deliver massive reach, critical speed and the em
