Carla Cupid has been appointed the CEO of Tourism Trinidad Ltd, after having acted in the position for the past ten months.
Cupid’s appointment took effect on April 3.
She had been acting in the position since July last year.
During an interview published in Outlook Travel magazine’s Travel Guide for Trinidad which was posted on Monday, Cupid stated that responsible travel and sustainability were crucial to the future of tourism on the island.
Cupid said Trinidad’s “natural beauty” has already received high commendation from National Geographic as a family destination, inspiring journeys for all ages.
“Our foodie culture has also been reviewed gastronomically by popular food blogger Mark Weins, and the videos from his trip have each received over one million views. Our strategy is to showcase, reach out and welcome, so we have a very active social media presence and have been on very successful trips to sell the brand overseas. Our first trip for 2023 was to the Netherlands, at Vakantiebeurs, where we took the message of visit Trinidad to the diaspora and European market,” Cupid said.
“We ensured that tour operators got a chance to see that our tagline of Trinidad, Always in Season, was not a myth and that we are accessible and aware of where the new markets are. This, coupled with KLM increasing its airlift to Trinidad, has been received positively,” she said.
Cupid said several steps have been taken to position Trinidad as a premier tourism destination.
“We constantly highlight our unique experiences and showcase Trinidad’s unique cultural, natural, and adventure experiences to attract travellers. We also build partnerships with travel agencies, hotels and airlines to promote Trinidad as a destination.
“In this era, we utilise a lot of digital marketing platforms like social media, travel websites, and influencer marketing to reach a wider audience and drive bookings. We also do a lot of destination branding to create a strong and consistent brand image for Trinidad to increase recognition and attract repeat visitors,” Cupid said.
She said on the back end, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts and other government ministries and agencies are also looking at improving infrastructure such as transportation, accommodations, and attractions to enhance the overall experience for visitors.
“Finally, we host events, cultural and sporting, to attract visitors and generate media coverage. This also lends to our sustainable tourism practices to preserve our unique natural and cultural heritage.
Cupid said she is “very optimistic” about the development of Trinidad’s tourism sector.
But this will be dependent on a variety of factors, including “consumer confidence and interest in what we have to offer.”
“We are building our brand outside and beyond Carnival and religious festivals, both of which are big ticket items. However, there exists a slow period in between, where we are now putting in place festivals of food, music and other activities to generate interest and visits,” she said.
“Added to this, our country is known for its rich culture, diverse landscapes, and vibrant Carnival, which attracts thousands of tourists every year. With continued efforts to develop new attractions and improve tourism infrastructure, Trinidad is expected to continue to be a popular destination for tourists in 2023,” Cupid said.
“Trinidad is the new kid on the block so there is a lot of curiosity surrounding what we have to offer. Curiosity creates awareness and we are using that heightened awareness to tell people to visit Trinidad,” Cupid said.