Trinidad and Tobago honoured as one of the best countries to visit in 2025 by Lonely Planet at this year’s World Travel Market (WTM)

Posted Nov 05, 2024

The unspoilt, untouched Caribbean Island of Tobago has strengthened its position as a must-visit destination on the global stage, with Trinidad and Tobago being honoured among the 10 best countries to visit in 2025 by Lonely Planet at the 2024 World Travel Market (WTM) in London. 

Known around the world for its unique insights on authentic getaways, Lonely Planet's Best in Travel list celebrates 30 incredible destinations to visit for 2025. In the top 10 countries category, Trinidad and Tobago has been recognized among the likes of Fiji, Cameroon, Paraguay, and Lithuania, with prominent features of Pigeon Point Beach, Little Tobago, Pirate’s Bay, Corbin Local Wildlife Park, and Fort King in Tobago. As the only Caribbean country to make the list, this achievement has strengthened the country’s appeal as a desirable destination in the region, with Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel featured in several other major publications including CNN and The New York Post.

Senator the Honourable Randall Mitchell, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, the Honourable Farley Augustine, Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly and Councillor Tashia Burris, Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation, had the pleasure of receiving the award from Lonely Planet’s Vice President Tom Hall and Senior Director of Partnerships, Emily Huff, during this year’s WTM in London, where thousands of tourism industry professionals gathered to network, build partnerships and showcase the latest global trends and offerings.

Speaking at WTM in London, the Chief Secretary Augustine said:

“Our award with Lonely Planet, which we are sharing with our twin sister Trinidad…it shows that the world is watching and paying attention to what we are doing. These awards really reaffirm that we are going along the right trajectory, we are doing the right things, and we are, in fact, marketing the island well. The beautiful thing about Tobago is that …we are not trying to become a large island…we are not trying to be who we are not. We are just trying to be the best that we can be…and by being our best selves, we are saying to the world ‘Tobago will afford you the best vacation possible and it will be unlike any other.’ So, come to Tobago because Tobago is beyond ordinary.”

Secretary Burris also commended the destination on receiving this accolade, noting the island’s heightened visibility and recognition from such awards. She said:

Lonely Planet is one of those publications that are followed by millions of people around the world. So that if you make the top 10 for Lonely Planet, it means definitely you’re a destination on their radar…Getting that recognition from Lonely Planet demonstrates that the work that we are doing is bearing fruit, that the persons at Lonely Planet recognizes that ‘Tobago is a place to watch so we need to put them on our list’, it means that the discerning traveler who is looking at Lonely Plant who has never seen or heard about Trinidad or Tobago now has the opportunity to learn more about the destination…and not just learn about the destination but they need to come and experience it themselves. So, I am happy for this accolade.”

Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) Board Director, Mr. Alpha Lorde commended the marketing efforts of the destination over the years which have contributed to such accolades, saying that “TTAL has continued to lead the way on advertising Tobago and we are quite happy with the steps taking so far.” He added:

“Tobago is a high-quality destination unlike most of the other destinations. The respite that you might find in Tobago is not near to anywhere else in the Caribbean or other international destinations. I am grateful for Lonely Planet recognizing us, I am grateful for the awards we have won over the years. It tells us that the work we are doing at WTM and just over the years is now being recognized internationally. So, we need to just keep on doing what we have been doing, and do it to the best of our abilities.”

WTM in London 2024 is scheduled to run from November 5th to 7th, 2024.