Tobago continues to engage German market to increase visitor arrivals
Posted Jul 22, 2019
The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited hosted the destination’s overseas representative in Germany for a visit to Tobago from July 09 to 16, 2019. This familiarization trip provided the representative with an update of on-island experiences, fostered closer relationships between local tourism stakeholders and Tobago’s overseas reps to optimize tourism initiatives, and improved the representative’s confidence and ability to sell Tobago in the German market.
Aligning marketing efforts with overseas destination representatives
The Tobago Tourism Agency has been hosting contracted overseas representatives on the island in the past few months to keep them abreast of the destination’s assets, and to ensure they have a better understanding of, and close working relationship with, the island’s tourism stakeholder groups.
The Agency previously hosted Canadian PR Company, Siren Communications in May 2019, as well as the destination’s Scandinavian representatives, AVIAREPS Nordic, in June 2019. These representatives are strategically selected individuals and organizations who use their intimate knowledge of Tobago’s various source markets to effectively reach local consumers, outbound operators, and local media in order to drive destination sales and increase visitation to the island.
This recent familiarization trip saw Tobago’s overseas representative in Germany, Ms. Angelika Wegner of Tourimax, be re-familiarized with Tobago’s tourism assets and get updated on the current status of the room stock available. TTAL officials also engaged Ms. Wegner in activities on the island that are aligned with the primary niches established in TTAL’s “Go to Market Strategy”, including eco-adventure and nature, local culture, people and heritage, and seas and beaches.
TTAL also facilitated site inspections to over twenty (20) different tourism accommodation properties across the island, and ensured that Ms. Wegner experienced the best of the culinary, natural, and cultural offerings of unspoilt, untouched, undiscovered Tobago - including a taste of the Tobago Heritage Festival currently underway.
Ms. Wegner conducts a site inspection at Starfish Tobago Resort with the resort’s Assistant General Manager, Mr. Curtis Lee (right).
Facilitating engagement between industry stakeholders and German market
On Tuesday July 16, 2019, Ms. Wegner was joined by TTAL’s Marketing Coordinator, Ms. Sheena Des Vignes, to deliver a comprehensive German market update presentation to local industry stakeholders at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort.
The event was attended by stakeholders from various sectors in Tobago’s tourism industry, including accommodation providers, tour guides, tour operators and representatives from their various associations.
These stakeholders were able to garner insights on the ongoing activities by the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited and Tourimax to promote Tobago in the German market. They were also given the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the destination’s overseas representative, Ms. Angelika Wegner, who provided them with valuable feedback and information on the German travel trade to assist them in optimizing their product and service offerings.
Ms. Wegner stated, “My informative visit to Tobago once again confirmed the enormous potential that the island has to offer. Thanks to an excellent visit planned and organized by the Tobago Tourism Agency, I had the opportunity to talk to many stakeholders and get an overview of the efforts being made on the island to further improve and develop tourism services.
The tourism industry in Tobago shows - despite some challenges - passion and the will to do everything necessary to make the island the dream destination for the German-speaking market again.”