Trinidad’s Sharma Vows “Continuity” of Government Tourism Policy

Above: Trinidad (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

When Chandresh Sharma was tapped to take over Trinidad and Tobago’s Tourism Ministry from former Minister Stephen Cadiz earlier this month, there were questions over whether he would continue the policies developed by Cadiz.

In his first media conference since taking over, Sharma said there would be “continuity of government policy in the Ministry,” and that there would not be a change in the board of the TDC.

Sharma was addressing the media to launch World Tourism Week 2013.

He also said that he had not yet had the opportunity to meet with tourism stakeholders, but that a meeting was being set up and “measures were being put in place to ensure that all stakeholders would be represented at that meeting.”

Cadiz had announced earlier this year a major rebranding push for Trinidad as a tourism destination in London in November, and Sharma said that, while the project would “have to be reviewed,” “efforts would be made to ensure that the rebranding does take place.”

If an extension is required, he said, there would be one.

Sharma also said that, with the new airlift coming on line this year — notably from JetBlue — Trinidad’s stock of available rooms would have to be increased.