TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – On November 29 Senator the Honourable Howard Chin Lee, the Minister of Tourism, officiated at the sod-turning ceremony of the 150 room Cara Suites Hotel and Conference Centre situated four (4) minutes from the Piarco International Airport.
The opening of this facility, in the next 18 months, will certainly reinforce Trinidad and Tobago’s position as the meetings and conference centre of the Caribbean.
At the sod-turning ceremony Minister Chin Lee pointed out that, with increasing visitor arrivals into Trinidad and Tobago, there is a concomitant need to increase room stock and conference facilities. As a result of government’s proactive stance towards private sector investment and a healthy economy, several new hotels and conference facilities will be underway over the next 3 years.
– The 428 room Hyatt Regency Hotel and Conference Centre, with top quality conference and meetings facilities capable of hosting 1,000 delegates at a time, opens at the Port of Spain’s Waterfront in late 2007.
– The 80 room Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Trincity will open its doors in January 2007
-Construction of the 120 room Star Hotel in Piarco will commence shortly.
-Work on the 150 room Carlton Savannah Hotel in St. Ann’s is also expected to begin shortly.
Also important to the development of the local tourism industry is adequate airlift and recently Trinidad and Tobago has been able to garner increased airlift from some major carriers. In December 2006, both Delta Airlines and Caribbean Star will commence new services.
From February 17, 2007 Delta Air Lines will begin non stop jet service between Atlanta and Tobago whilst British Airways will commence flying to Port of Spain three times a week from Gatwick, England from March 27th 2007. Copa Airlines has also indicated its intention to operate non stop service between Panama City and Port of Spain in 2007.
The Ministry of Tourism will also be bringing into Parliament quite shortly a new cutting edge national tourism policy to guide development of the tourism sector. Work is also continuing apace on amendments to the Tourism Development Act so that benefits, such as tax holidays, duty exemptions and concessions, capital allowances and accelerated depreciation, can be more easily accessed by investors.
Minister Chin Lee also indicated that the cruise shipping sector is also being targeted for development; with the emphasis being on home porting and other novel ways to increase cruise ship visits to Trinidad and Tobago.
Cara Suites Hotel and Conference is owned by Robert Boos and Bob Yorke. Targeting the modern business and leisure traveller from the Caribbean and North America, the hotel is expected to have 144 guest rooms.
