Trinidad and Tobago highlights eco and culture at Ottawa travel show

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Fresh from a successful string of sales calls, Trinidad and Tobago capitalized on its increased visibility in the Canadian market with a spectacular showing at the Ottawa Travel and Vacation show on A

Fresh from a successful string of sales calls, Trinidad and Tobago capitalized on its increased visibility in the Canadian market with a spectacular showing at the Ottawa Travel and Vacation show on April 5 and 6.

One of Canadaโ€™s biggest consumer and travel trade exhibitions, the Ottawa Travel and Vacation Show provided a platform for Trinidad and Tobagoโ€™s tourism officials to showcase the dual-island destinationโ€™s diverse and dynamic tourism product to a market of approximately 16,000 consumers who are well-educated, affluent and ready to travel.

In addition to promoting Trinidad and Tobago as a desirable vacation destination to the residents of Ottawa, the destinationโ€™s myriad attractions, festivals and heritage offerings were also put on show.

Speaking on the delegationโ€™s return to Trinidad, Yolande Selman, acting Chief Executive Officer at the Tourism Development Company Limited, the organization responsible for mounting the sales mission, said the destinationโ€™s efforts were very well received.

โ€œOur delegation was able to capitalize on the opportunity by meeting with travel agents, tour operators, meeting planners, media personnel, travel executives, tourism executives as well as consumers in the Canadian market and as a result we have been able to put agreements, strategies and promotions in place which will redound to the benefit of the local tourism industry,โ€ Selman explained.

These initiatives are consistent with our overall strategy of promoting and increasing of awareness of the destination as a key strategic objective.

โ€œNoting the demand in this market for experiential, community based and other niche tourism offerings, we have packaged Trinidad and Tobagoโ€™s rich history, multi-ethnic society, diverse culture, pristine eco sites and attractions to entice a range of visitors, including the Indian, West Indian and African Diaspora resident in Ottawa,โ€ she added.

Major developmental activities undertaken by the Trinidad and Tobago delegation included outreach sessions to educate the Canadian market on the islands superior hospitality infrastructure, relationship building with key travel partners, the development of tourism business and promotions.

TDCโ€™s Marketing Specialist for Canada, Dahlia Zaida Mohammed, attended the event and hosted promotions aimed directly at travel consumers. According to Ms. Mohammed, many of the visitors to the Trinidad and Tobago booth at the Ottawa Travel and Vacation Show were very enthusiastic on discovering a new destination with the diverse tourism products that both islands offer. Based on the information shared, most attendants were between the ages of 50 to 65, and, as potential visitors, expressed an avid interest in soft adventure, eco and leisure, with many enquiring about all-inclusive resorts and direct airlift to the destination. At present, Caribbean Airlines and Westjet offer direct flights to Trinidad and Tobago from Toronto. Inter-city connections are also available from Westjet or Air Canada through the United States.

In the lead-up to the Ottawa Travel and Trade Show, Ms. Mohammed and the Canadian Overseas Representative, Allison Ferguson, embarked on a series of sales calls, from March 31 to April 3, in an effort to meet one-on-one with members of the Canadian travel trade and create enhanced destination awareness.

Major activities included familiarizing agents with the availability of flights, providing destination promotional material to travel agencies and showcasing the destinationโ€™s eco and adventure, heritage, honeymoon, leisure and nightlife offerings.

In an effort to secure future opportunities and joint marketing initiatives, as well as ensure continued development of the destination with our key stakeholders in the Canadian market, discussions were held with officials at the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in Ottawa, Caribbean Airlines, Westjet and travel agencies in Toronto.

To learn more about Trinidad and Tobagoโ€™s packages and incentives for Canadian travel agents and travelers visit www.gotrinidadandtobago.com, e-mail [email protected] or call 1 (647) 502 2489.

Trinidad & Tobago is a member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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