Rhapsody of the Seas and Silver Dawn at the Scarborough Port

Tobago talks cruise tourism at Seatrade

Posted Apr 06, 2023

Following the successful resumption of cruise visits to Tobago in November 2022, the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) and a team of Tobago’s tourism officials attended Seatrade Cruise Global from March 27 to 31, 2023, continuing the developmental work to deepen the benefits of cruise tourism to the destination.

Seatrade is the hallmark annual cruise event gathering the global cruise community all in one place for networking and information gathering opportunities. The 2023 edition was hosted at the Broward County Convention Center in Greater Fort Lauderdale, enabling an expanded exhibit hall this year that saw an estimated 10,000 attendees exposed to the latest cruise products and services from 500+ exhibitors and new launches on the show floor.

Tobago’s contingent at the event comprised of Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation, Councillor Tashia Burris, TTAL Executive Chairman Ms. Alicia Edwards, TTAL Board Director of Cruise and Transportation Mr. Orville Dillon, and Technical Advisor Mrs. Korice Archer-Quashie Nancis. The team was also accompanied by representatives from the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and Tourism Trinidad Ltd (TTL).

Technical Advisor Mrs. Korice Archer-Quashie Nancis, Secretary Tashia Burris, TTAL Board Director of Cruise and Transportation Mr. Orville Dillon, and TTAL Executive Chairman Ms. Alicia Edwards at Seatrade Cruise Global.
(Left to right) Technical Advisor Mrs. Korice Archer-Quashie Nancis, Secretary Tashia Burris, TTAL Board Director of Cruise and Transportation Mr. Orville Dillon, and TTAL Executive Chairman Ms. Alicia Edwards at Seatrade Cruise Global.

The delegation attended teaching sessions as well as panel discussions on trending topics - from best sustainability practices and ethics, to cruising in a changing world - in between meetings with international cruise professionals on Trinidad and Tobago’s co-branded stand. Trinidad and Tobago saw a promising start to their post-pandemic cruise comeback, welcoming 139,640 passengers and 51,988 crew members between the season’s start in November 2022 and March 2023, as reported by Carvalho's Agencies. A total of 64,000 passengers are expected to have visited Tobago alone by the end of the current season in April 2023.

TTAL Executive Chairman Alicia Edwards shared the Agency’s commitment to supporting the upward trajectory of Tobago’s cruise arrivals, working in tandem with the Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation at Seatrade to deepen working relationship between attending cruise operators with existing cruise lines to Tobago.

Tobago delegation with Wendy McDonald of Royal Caribbean.
The Tobago delegation on T&T’s stand with Wendy McDonald (middle) of Royal Caribbean.

Ms. Edwards stated:

“While the pandemic continues to challenge the cruise industry, 2023 is expected to be a pivotal turning point for Caribbean cruising, with many cruise lines announcing their full fleets will be deployed across the world for the first time in two years. Our participation in Seatrade at this critical juncture of tourism sector recovery allowed us to gain the insight and connections needed to better position destination Tobago in the global cruise marketplace.”

Coming out of Seatrade Cruise Global, TTAL has been able to initiate discussions with three major cruise lines so far, as talks continue with the aim of stimulating more interest in Tobago as a preferred port of call for cruise lines operating within the Caribbean.