Daly Bread: Ignoring what we have, a look at T&T’s positive reviews


Trinidad has twice received rave reviews from the New York Times (NYT) regarding our food and culture. These reviews were published in the travel section of that newspaper. These are travel advisories of a very different kind from the negative ones we receive regarding crime and terrorism.

The more recent review was published on February 22, a few days before our youthful Minister of Tourism was vex because citizens were “bad mouthing” her native Tobago.

Photo: Visitors wait for a flat-bottom boat to take them to the Buccoo Reef.

Frustrated as she may be, the Minister cannot deny the incredible damage to the Tobago economy wrought by the collapse of the sea bridge, by means of which Tobago was struggling to stay alive.

Domestic visitors to Tobago became the tourism lifeline for the island because foreign visitor arrivals were reportedly not buoyant. Listening to persons involved in the travel business in Tobago made it plain that domestic tourism was only a meagre lifeline and could not fill the decline in foreign visitor arrivals.

The travel experts seem agreed that a one-promotion-fits-both-islands marketing strategy will not work for Tobago. They are firm that Tobago must be marketed as a destination on its own although the food and culture common to both our islands would feature in a dedicated Tobago destination marketing plan.

The focus of my commentary this week, however—stimulated by the New York Times review—is that, in the case of Trinidad, none of our governments understand the resources we have available to diversify the economy into cultural and entertainment tourism. As a result, the rulers ignore what we have in their muddled tourism strategies.

This is not a new concern of mine; I have suggested many ways of monetising, with dignity, our cultural heritage and products.

Photo: Carnival Queen Roxanne Omalo takes to the Dimanche Gras stage with “Lilith, Mistress of the Damned” at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain on 11 February, 2018.
(Copyright Avalon/Wired868)

Let me share with readers how the NYT sees what we have and how it highlights what is obvious to indigenous and foreign commentators alike but which is not the subject of enlightened commitment, social development policy or investment.

The recent February travel review enthused that “Port of Spain may be best known for its exuberant annual Mardi Gras but even when the capital’s streets are not flooded with costumed revellers, it remains home to a vibrant arts scene.”

The earlier review in 2011 similarly attested to Port-of-Spain “offering some of the Caribbean’s most electrifying night life.” Both reviews were very impressed with Woodbrook as a location of cultural vibrancy. It also attested to “a Creole culture with roots in Africa, India, Europe and China.”

The 2011 review did not focus exclusively on Port-of-Spain. Of Central Trinidad, the 2011 review spoke lyrically of “the historic hub of Trinidad’s East Indian community” and what that community has given us in terms as diverse as doubles and the “meditative moods” generated by the reverence of Hanuman statues and the Temple by the Sea.

Both reviews, however—as is apparent from what I have quoted above—see the party scene as more than just the pejorative “Carnival mentality.” They have discerned the links between our music, dance, literature, theatre and fete in our callaloo of diverse backgrounds. Commentators like Rawle Gibbons and Dara Healy perceptively describe these links.

Photo: A customer prepares his doubles meal.

Dara recently recommended, in her weekly column in the Newsday, that we “properly confront our cultural space” and understand what “we have produced from inside the belly of our socio-cultural and historic experience.” I agree. Until we do that, we will continue to ignore what we have and its full potential to contribute to economic recovery, not to mention less divisive ranting.

There is irony in the fact that there are competing travel advisories about Trinidad. The irony is this: The unattended and unreformed socio-economic conditions that help breed the negative and dangerous environments, which foreign governments highlight, can be treated with and reformed.

The cultural wealth of which the NYT informed its readers can be put to enlightened and profitable use in those same environments and beyond.

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About Martin Daly

Martin G Daly SC is a prominent attorney-at-law. He is a former Independent Senator and past president of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago. He is chairman of the Pat Bishop Foundation and a steelpan music enthusiast.

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9 comments

  1. I am currently living and working in a Caribbean island experiencing an 11% Growth spurt in Tourism, from what was already an upward tick. My current boss is the Chairwoman of the Saint Lucia Tourism Board and I am learning everything I can! I can tell you first hand, T&T NOT READY. What struck me the most, was how Saint Lucians treat with their natural environment vs. Trinis. Our natural wonders are not precious things to us. Both T&T and Saint Lucia have the rare Trinitario cocao bean. It is the most prized variety of cocao in the WORLD! European chocolatiers crave it and pay top dollar for it.

    While T&T lets its cocoa plantations go to waste, Saint Lucia has Fond Doux and Hotel Chocolat, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es-iyudCeeY superior luxury chocolate vacations.

    Both islands have Rastas right? Well Saint Lucia has The Ital Experience, a superior luxury organic, ital dining experience by a top notch hotel.

    You see, when you don’t have oil and gas to fall back on, you take less of your own gems for granted. T&T is sitting on a tourism goldmine and it is not in typical resort tourism but small family owned boutique inns and villas, hybrid, ultra luxurious, ultra organic, authentic cultural, food and artistic experiences with real local craftsmen. But most of all, OUR NATURE! Just watched a Norwegian vistior vlog to T&T and he is marketing not Maracas or even Las Cuevas but the more unknown and secluded beaches further up the North Coast, where you can skinny dip. That is what visitors are after. UNSPOILED, SECLUDED, nature, that makes them feel like they just discovered it.

    We Trinis, sadly would easily pave everything over in concrete if given the chance just as we chase down mediocre American food, we chase the trappings of “development” when the developed world is chasing nature and organic and authentic, which we have in spades! We blessed and we don’t even know it.

  2. I’m always amazed about all the Trinis that rather eat and spend a lot of money for imported bland American fast food instead of their own rich and tasty cuisine.

  3. I would like clarity or a definition of what is T&T cultural and entertainmentTourism. I’m always intrigued when people talk of Sport Tourism, Health Tourism and we can’t even get “Tourism’ off the ground. Additionally its always what the government must do, and then the same people complain that the self same government is the cause of the dependency syndrome. Where is the private business in all this. there are so much things lacking in this country to get Tourism, Crime is a factor,( recent carnival robberies and beating of visitors) a lack of service (which is very poor in this country) and more than that lack of unity among the groups first and foremost. Government can’t change that . People (Trinis) have to change their attitude.

  4. I’m always intrigued when journalist claim “the experts say”, but never name the experts. It would also be nice for statements to be backed by some analysis – so that strategy and appropriate marketing plans can be shaped.

  5. Anyone mentioned it to the minister

  6. To the author of this article: Sir, may I remind you that a couple days ago, in the parliament, it was confirmed by our illustrious Minister of Tourism that on a recent visit to the twin-island, she saw in the grocery eggs, cheese. yoghurt and Almond milk, therefore, Tobago is not in want. That sir, came out the mouth of a properly educated minister and I have no reason to doubt her professional judgement.

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