By the Caribbean Journal staff

In an effort to boost Trinidad’s tourism sector, the government is launching a series of projects aimed at developing domestic tourism in the country, according to Tourism Minister Dr Rupert Griffith.

“In an attempt to diversify the economy, Cabinet has greed to undertake six projects to develop local tourism as the tourism industry plays a major part in the local economy,” Griffith said.

One major project includes the development of a tourist resort in Debe, in the southern part of the island.

“We are looking at developing the area where the doubles vendors are into a tourist resort,” he said. “We will encourage more vendors to apply to ply their trade there.”

Also under development is an Amerindian village in Santa Rose.

For that project, 25 acres of land has been allocated to develop the village, part of a group of 370 heritage projects the government said it will undertake.

Griffith also pointed to the development of the Las Cuevas and Vessigny beaches in order to bring them up to international standards.

The Las Cuevas area is home to Fort Abercromby, a 19th-century British Fort the government is also looking to renovate into a working tourist site.

Last fall, Trinidad and Tobago was named the World’s Best Tourist Destination for 2012 by the European Union Council on Tourism and Trade.