Above: Tobago (Caribbean Journal photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The island of Tobago received just over 1 million visitors in 2013 for the first time its history, according to Tobago’s Secretary of Tourism and Transportation, Tracy Davidson-Celestine.

A large portion of that came from the domestic market in Trinidad (on ferries and by air), according to Davidson-Celestine, a “key influencing factor in the fortunes of Tobagonians,” she said.

There were a total of 1,001,752 visitors, up from 963,000 in 2012, according to government data.

“We are pressing on despite the delicate state of the industry in all our source markets,” she said. “Tobago is performing admirably.”

For the first seven months of the financial year beginning last October, arrivals to the island were up 9 percent, she said.

In the winter of 2013-2014, hotel occupancy reached around 74 percent, she said.

“Added to this, restaurants have been busy and services such as tours, trips and excursions fully utilized,” she said.