I know Carnival ent even come yet, far less for done, but I sure when the dust clear and the glitter wash off we go come to the conclusion that international tourism in the toilet. Returning nationals might call theyself “Trini to de bone,” but when it come down to it I will bet money that they not practising what they preach. They living in Canada or the UK or the US, and them economies all going through the “downturn” that everybody frighten to call a recession, as though it go put some kind of financial goat mout’ on the world.

The truth is, plenty of them people who ordinarily would of be jumping up in Tribe or what have you, find they lose a truckload of their savings and pension after the crash last year, and now dressing for work every day wondering if that day of work is their last. When financial uncertainty dominating your life, a two-weeks in Trini is a luxury, not a must. In T&T we partying as though nothing change, spending more and more money on ticket for all-inclusive and the piece of panty from China that they calling costume in most of these mas bands. We does do as if money ent no problem, either out of hardenness or our of stupidness.

Whatever causing it, the local Carnival spirit surely thriving. But we go see if the “Trinis to de bone” go come home this year en masse (or should it be en mas) as they would of do before the meltdown. Tobago tourism done seeing some trouble, and during what suppose to be peak season they only have three out of ten of their hotel rooms occupy. As the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association treasurer Shirley McKenna say in a Guardian story last month, “Since the downturn of the world’s economy, we have had quite a bit of cancellations... It has not been this bad in several years.”

She and the association president Carol Ann Birchwood-James say how they want to target Trinidad to make up the difference. “We intend to go to Trinidad and advertise aggressively... We intend to have road shows and give out brochures and literature about Tobago… It’s still cheaper to come to Tobago than to go to another Caribbean island.” You could see she ent know Trini. A Trini go cry broken today and be drinking Chivas tomorrow, if he know he could get away with it—and even if he can’t.

Trini not just spendthrift, they bad mind with it. They go take out the most expensive big screen TV from Courts, knowing full well that they go can’t pay for it, and that bailiff go be running them down for the money for the rest of their life. They rather duck a repo man than have a small TV, or, God forbid, no TV at all. So a Trini who planning holidays go know they only have X dollars and should really go Mayaro, but no, is Miami in your tail! If they have to suck salt for the foreseeable future, they going Miami. (I should know, I’s a Trini myself.)

This downturn is a good opportunity for some financial re-education. I know the Tourism Development Company have their “Stay to get away” campaign going on a good while now, but in the past it was really a option rather than a necessity. Now that money get more tighter, and the reality of a international recession not just some airy-fairy idea but a definite prospect, even Trini go have to make some changes. Once Carnival done and people start looking to book their August holidays trips, for them who lucky enough to be able to afford them, with any luck we go stop looking abroad and start looking around for what cheaper.

A story on the TDC Web site quote the TDC president and Director of Tourism Dr James Hepple as saying, “We’re showing people that vacationing in your own country is a desirable option. T&T has competitive weekend, hotel packages and many attractions. Our objective is to encourage locals, who would otherwise funnel dollars outside T&T, to stay at home and discover the many vacation options that attract thousands of foreigners each year.” All that sounding good, and the Tobago hotel people say they put in new specials—like free tours and breakfast (or breakfases, depending on your taste)—to attract Trinis. Is a potential silver lining, to me. If we could use this international brokenness to build the domestic tourism industry, then we win all how.