Trinidad and Tobago renews focus to deliver value to visitors

Trinidad and Tobago has renewed its focus to delivering value to visitors by building strategic relationships with tourism partners and stakeholders.

Through the Tourism Development Company Limited (TDC), the twin-island republic is ensuring that every point of contact for our visitors results in a memorable experience by training tourism service providers in the art of delivering consistent, high-quality service.

In this effort, the TDC has launched two pioneering national initiatives aimed at enhancing service delivery and quality, namely the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Industry Certification (TTTIC) and the Service, Training, Attitude, and Respect (STAR) program.

The TTTIC program (pronounced Tee-tick) is designed to ensure that all tourism service providers deliver goods and services which meets or surpasses international benchmarks for excellence. The process includes annual audits by the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) to ensure suppliers meet national standards. Once the audits and a period of training are completed, all successful participants receive TTTIC certification as a tangible stamp of approval.

The TTTIC program is jointly implemented by the TDC, the Division of Tourism and Transportation at the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and the TTBS. Through this collaborative effort, hotels, guesthouses, tour guides, tour operators, vehicle rental operators, and land tourist transport service providers are trained and given the necessary tools to provide the best service.

The TTTIC program is run in conjunction with the STAR program, which is a comprehensive and integrated approach to building a sustainable and consistent culture of service excellence. While TTTIC focuses on certification of tourism specific service providers, STAR is all encompassing and recognizes that all visitor contact points, not just within the tourism industry, is critical to a positive experience.

The STAR program focuses on improving service delivery within the hospitality sector at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels of the organization. The program addresses gaps in the area of service delivery and also targets personnel that work in nontraditional tourism organizations.

STAR was designed in conjunction with both the public and private sectors to position Trinidad and Tobago as the country that provides the warmest welcome and highest level of international quality service. The program seeks to lay the necessary infrastructure to support consistent service delivery that meets or exceeds international benchmarks for quality and sustainability.

This integrated training effort symbolizes Trinidad and Tobago’s commitment to excellence in tourism service delivery by recognizing that every sector has a role to play in enhancing the overall destination experience.

Not only should visitors be enamored with Trinidad and Tobago’s wonderful sites and attractions, but they should also remember every smile and every encounter as a reflection of service excellence.