PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago tourism officials Saturday said that the country had earned more than TT$48 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) in revenue as a result of the “highly successful” seven month cruise ship season that ended here on Thursday this week.
“The total expenditure by passengers to Trinidad and Tobago is approximately TT$48,568,292 million,” according to the figures released here.
The ministry said that the economic impact of this cruise season extended to various stakeholders and that increased revenue was generated at the various ports, for tour operators, taxi drivers, craft vendors and local businesses.
It said based on available data gathered by Tourism Trinidad’s visitor surveys, the average visitor spend was estimated at US$43 per person, equating to US$$3,356,193 million.
According to the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited, the estimated spend per passenger on tours was US$26 totalling US$2,587,728 for the season and that 26,890 passengers went on organised tours, with an average expenditure of US$25 per person.
The ministry said that the government’s focus on tourist satisfaction and strategic marketing initiatives played a significant role in this season’s achievements, noting that “proactive participation in trade events and collaborative efforts with cruise lines resulted in increased cruise calls and a wider reach for Trinidad and Tobago”.
It said that Mitchell attended the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) conferences over the past two years holding discussions with several cruise lines.
The officials said that the majority of passengers came from the United States, constituting a significant 70 per cent of the total arrivals, followed by Canada with nine per cent and France with seven per cent.
They said other notable contributors include the United Kingdom with four per cent, Uruguay with three per cent and the rest of the world accounting for six per cent.
The tourism officials noted however that relatively smaller numbers were recorded from the Caribbean,
The ministry said that similar to American travelers, Canadians are drawn to Trinidad and Tobago for its warm climate, cultural richness, and recreational activities.
“Furthermore, the diversity in the origin of cruise passengers highlights the global appeal of Trinidad and Tobago as a cruise destination. Efforts to promote the destination internationally contributed to attracting passengers from various regions across the world,” the ministry added.
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