Trinidad and Tobago leads the Caribbean region on symposium in Tour Guiding Safety and Security

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad – The Tourism Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TDC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) hosted its Inaugural Tourism Conference on November 18, 2014 titled: Tourism Tour Guiding Safety and Security Protocol Symposium, the first of its kind in the region at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Tourism, Senator the Honourable Gerald Hadeed, delivered the feature address at the symposium and re-iterated government’s support for  creating a safe environment for visitors and locals as well as the enhancement and development of the country’s community tourism product.

Commenting on the inaugural symposium, TDC’s Chief Executive Officer Keith Chin said, “We at the TDC recognise that visitor safety and security has become a critical factor in the decision making process for visitors when choosing an international destination. “ He further added that, “This symposium gives our tour guides and other stakeholders the opportunity to learn best practice in the area of safety and security and adopt and adapt new measures to their business operations.”

Among the highlights of the event which included the  official launch of the website of the Trinidad and Tobago Tour Guide Association (TTTGA) which can be accessed at www.tourguidestt.com, were dynamic presentations from representatives of the Ministry of National Security, the Caribbean Public Health Agency and the Organisation of American States which outlined strategies for enhancing the safety at tourist sites, attractions, trails and access routes, as well as policies aimed at minimizing the potential threats of infectious diseases to visitors.

The symposium, an initiative of the Caribbean Small Tourism Enterprises Unit (STEP) was a direct result of the Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building and Strategic Plan project aimed at improving the standard of operations and interactions within the tourism industry of small and medium enterprises of which the Trinidad and Tobago Tour Guide Association is now in its final stages.

Many of the businesses in the tourism industry are micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which include tour operators, tour guides and small accommodation owners.  The TDC, through its Caribbean Small Tourism Enterprises project (STEP) has been focusing on industry relevant training and capacity building initiatives for SMEs like tour operators, tour guides and transport service providers with a view to improving their skill set.

STEP, is now a flagship and regionally recognised project of the TDC offering a comprehensive approach to encouraging high performance, profitability, healthy competition and sustainability for small tourism operators.

For more information on the symposium, STEP or to access its training initiatives contact Belinda Charles, Business Enhancement Facilitation Specialist at [email protected].