Tobago on its new vision for 2019

"We believe it’s the start of a positive transition for Tobago by moving the island away from its position as a twin to our sister island, Trinidad.

"We want Tobago to be a destination in its own right and have used the island’s unique character and features to guide our new campaign,” says Louis Lewis, chief executive at the Tobago Tourism Agency.

He explains that the tourism agency’s new branding, which uses the tagline “Tobago Beyond”, will promote the island’s sea and beaches, ecotourism, culture and heritage, soft adventure and romance and weddings offerings.

It will use a #101thingstodointobago hashtag to encourage clients to share their experiences on social media.

“We want to shout about the fact that we have the longest protected rainforest in the western hemisphere, one of the highest densities of bird species and the largest brain coral in the world,” he enthuses.

Targeted approach

With his first major project since taking up the mantle as the agency’s first-ever chief executive, Lewis is confident that “extensive data-driven research” undertaken by London-based branding experts Gravity, will help develop a strategy to convince potential clients to visit Tobago.

Lewis says the final results revealed that more than 1.2 million online conversations about the Caribbean didn’t include the name of a specific destination. As a result, Tobago Beyond will target the superboomers and dinky (dual income no kids yet) markets.

“We know these groups have the means to afford a Caribbean escape, but they also have the inclination to find something different that feels off the beaten track. Somewhere that gives them the feeling of discovering something for the first time.”

Important upgrades

In order to support the Tobago Beyond branding, Lewis says there will be “extensive” upgrades to the on-island product, including the construction of a new terminal at the Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson International airport and the redevelopment of Tobago’s cruise port.

“The government has recognised the importance of tourism and the need for high standards. We have an ongoing public awareness campaign to ensure host communities are more receptive to tourism too. We realise we need to up our game and make sure we deliver what we’ve promised with the new brand.”

There are a few big-name hotel brands coming to the island too, says Lewis, including a Sandals and Beaches resort for 2020, touted to be the group’s biggest ever project with the two brands sitting side by side.

“I think Sandals’ interest in Tobago really confirms we have a world-class product. Because it’s an all-inclusive brand with a good reputation, we expect the volume of business to be high with significant benefits for agriculture and employment.”

Trade ties

New training is now available at tobago.mytrainingrewards.com and destination guides will soon be available for UK agents, including a booking incentive to reward the top-selling consultant with an “all expenses paid” trip to the island.

“There has been a challenge with the trade selling Tobago because they were unsure of the wide array of what’s available. Also, the product in Trinidad and Tobago is so different that if you try to sell the two at once, you either dilute them both or miss the message on one,” Lewis says.

“We will also be hosting two fam trips for the UK market, which represents 50% of our overall visitor arrivals.”