The president of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association, Alpha Lorde, says he is not overly concerned about the UK’s new visa requirement for Trinidad and Tobago nationals, as it will not affect the influx of UK travellers to Tobago or interfere with the island’s tourism and hotel sectors.
Speaking to Guardian Media on Thursday, Lorde said he felt, “It’s more of a geopolitical issue,” adding that, “It doesn’t directly impact our tourism product, because that affects business outbound. I think what’s more important to me right now is the travel advisories, not just issued in the UK, but just issued internationally. But given that for Tobago, a large portion of the would-be visitors come out of the UK, I would like to see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs take that up as an issue.”
Lorde said hoteliers have already seen a decline in bookings, with some cancellations directly linked to the State of Emergency (SoE)—declared on December 30, 2024—and the increased travel advisories against visiting Tobago. He warned that if the Government does not address the issue with its UK counterparts, it could further hurt the island’s tourism sector.
“The SoE and its extension just add fuel to those travel advisories. Nobody’s pleased at all. We’ve seen significant reductions in bookings to date. Some have seen cancellations, but more importantly, bookings are not on par with previous years,” he said.
On the issue of the visa requirement, Lorde said the discussion, among his members, has largely been about its impact on personal travel rather than on businesses in the tourism industry.
“Most persons will be discussing the visa restrictions in the context of how it personally impacts them, not necessarily their business.”
Meanwhile, Progressive Democratic Patriots leader Watson Duke lamented, in a social media video on Thursday, the UK’s decision, calling it unfair. He said the move is a significant challenge that will require a collective national effort to address.
“Let’s not turn around and blame people. Let’s look for a solution. It requires more than the Minister of Foreign Affairs to negotiate, more than the Prime Minister to negotiate. We the people of Trinidad and Tobago must say what we want,” he said.
Duke described the move to introduce visas for Trinidad and Tobago nationals as unfair. He called on UK diplomats to lobby on the country’s behalf to have the decision reversed.