Above: Tobago (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Tobago received a record number of visitors in 2013 — more than 1 million, and a large portion of those visitors came from nearby Trinidad.

According to new data from Tobago’s government, more than half a million Trinidadians spent more than $18.3 million USD during their stays.

“Even as we dedicate time and resources to promoting Tobago internationally, we always keep an eye on our domestic market, as we know how valuable domestic tourism is for the economy,” said Tracy Davidson-Celestine, Tobago’s Secretary of Tourism and Transportation. “Domestic tourism helps non-traditional accommodation particularly and, with the new ferry ‘Galicia’, we are expecting reduced costs for goods and services which will help make Tobago an even more attractive option for domestic tourists.”

Trinidadians, using both fast ferries and Caribbean Airlines’ air bridge service, have traditionally frequented Tobago for weekend stays and for festivals like the Tobago Jazz Experience, the Blue Food Festival and Tobago’s well-known annual goat races.

Overall, domestic travel to Tobago rose by 3 percent in 2013, with 50,000 more arrivals than the previous year.

That was the highest number in the past six years.

Last year, 53 percent of visiting Trinidadians flew to Tobago, while 47 percent came via ferry.