Tobago’s tourist board has created a series of videos aimed at UK travel agents as part of a strategy to appeal to adventure travellers.
The series of five short videos, distributed on social media during ‘Take Me To Tobago Week’ from December 14-18, attracted nearly 3,000 views. They highlighted activities including yoga, birdwatching in the rainforest and local food and drink, as well as giving agents a chance to submit questions for a trade Q&A panel focusing on how to sell the island.
Nadine Rankin, chief executive of AMG, which represents the Tobago Tourism Agency in the UK, said: “We are really happy with how the week has gone. We thought it was important to bring a taste of Tobago to the agents and give them a feel for just how far beyond ordinary Tobago really is.”
She added: “We have tried to begin to position Tobago within this adventure and active market, which is why we joined Atas this year and why we focused so much on the cultural aspects of Tobago.
“[We want to] add more depth to people’s understanding of what the island has to offer, not seeing it as a fly-and-flop Caribbean destination but somewhere you can have authentic experiences, learn about a culture and try different foods, because that’s what the adventure and touring market looks for.
“We hope we can make a breakthrough in that market in 2021 because we’re not yet recognised alongside other destinations like Costa Rica and Belize.”
The northeast of the island was designated a protected biosphere reserve in October, under Unesco’s Man and the Biosphere programme, which Rankin said had contributed to the new strategy.
She added that smaller guesthouses and B&Bs – which are available through trade-friendly operators such as Travelpack – would be a focus for the trade next year, along with training and resources to help agents target adventure travellers, solo travellers and millennials.
You can view the Take Me To Tobago Week videos:
Agents can also win a place on a fam trip to Tobago by emailing the tourist board with details of their favourite video. Find out more here