Category Archives: Tourism

Entertainment, Finance, Tourism

Tourism in Las Vegas and Trinidad

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By Derren Joseph
October 12, 2010

Las VegasOne of the top stories in last Sunday’s New York Times was about the tourist Mecca of Las Vegas facing its deepest slide since the 1940s. As I read the story, I reflected on what is happening in our tourism accommodation sector here at home. Let us first touch on what is happening in Las Vegas. Firstly, visitor numbers are down as its usual customers cut back on recreational travel which is natural during a recession. Secondly, real estate and room rates are down. Thirdly, there is rising tourism unemployment as Nevada’s unemployment rates are now the highest in the US. In short, the overall tourism economy in the state of Nevada is under pressure.
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Caribbean, Entertainment, Politics, Tourism

Tourism from Carnival to Divali

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By Derren Joseph
September 16, 2010

CarnivalOn August 26th, there was an interesting article in the International Tourism press. President of the Sychelles, James Michel called upon his tourism industry to engage with the government to map out a new national tourism development plan. On the face of it there is nothing special about such an announcement but three things about that article that struck me.
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Caribbean, Finance, General T&T, Tobago, Tourism

Supporting Tobago’s Tourism

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By Derren Joseph
August 04, 2010

Tobago TourismLast week, the press carried a story about Deputy House Speaker Dr Fuad Khan urging Trinidadians to spend a portion of their vacation time in Tobago to boost the tourism industry in the sister island. The press report went on to say that occupancy rates at hotels are expected to drop as low as 15% in the coming months.
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Culture, Entertainment, General T&T, Politics, Tourism

Tourism, Culture and Decentralization

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By Derren Joseph
June 24, 2010

Maracas BayToday I continue from last week’s exploration of tourism as a key component in our diversification thrust. There are three points to be made – there is a nexus between tourism and culture, domestic tourism is critical and greater decentralization which empowers communities to develop and implement local development plans are necessary.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Politics, Tourism, Violence

Positive Reporting

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By Darren Joseph
September 13, 2009
Trinidad and Tobago News Blog
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog

CrimeA white South African was granted refugee status in Canada, on the ground of “racism.” He claimed that he was attacked six or seven times because of his skin colour. Needless to say, this caused much controversy in South Africa. Prime Minister Harper of Canada asked the Federal Court to review this ruling that so threatened Canada-South Africa relations.
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Culture, Entertainment, General T&T, Tourism

If only pan music were the food of love…

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By Raffique Shah
August 09, 2009
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com

SteelpanEver so often I wish I can forget the sad state of my country and instead enjoy the luxury my columnist-colleague Keith Smith does. I can see Keith’s eyes “open wide”, blurting out: “Luxury? What luxury? Dis man mad or what?” No, I’m not mad. Over the past week, to use one example, Keith has focused on his community, Laventille, on the tenth anniversary of its pan festival, a feast I enjoyed in its early years, but which, sadly, I have not attended for maybe five years.
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Crime in T&T, Politics, Tobago, Tourism, Violence

British couple beaten, chopped

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By Indarjit Seuraj and Andre Bagoo
August 03, 2009 – newsday.co.tt
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com

Domestic ViolenceSo horrific was the beating and chopping of 59-year-old British vacationer Murium Greene at her home in Bacolet Tobago on Saturday, that tears of blood streamed from her swollen eyes as she lay on a bed yesterday at the High Dependency Unit of the Eric Williams Medical Science Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope.

At the Intensive Care Unit of the EWMSC, Greene’s husband Peter, 65, lay in a medically induced coma, his head and face covered in cuts and chops. Doctors expressed concern that bleeding in his brain, caused by the traumatic injuries, had not stopped.
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5th Summit, Caribbean, CARICOM, International, Politics, Tourism

PM again boasts of Summit

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By Sean Douglas
Thursday, April 30 2009

Fifth Summit of the AmericasPRIME Minister Patrick Manning said the Fifth Summit of the Americas is earning TT and Caricom more respect and foreign investment. Addressing the 20th anniversary celebration ceremony of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) on Tuesday, at the Diplomatic Centre, he boasted: “There can be no doubt about the gains to our country and the region from this undertaking. Tourist arrivals will increase and it will certainly be much easier to market our region as a single tourism destination.”
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5th Summit, Complaints, International, Politics, Tourism

Caring too much about image

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By Raffique Shah
Sunday, April 26th 2009

Fifth Summit of the AmericasPRIME Minister Patrick Manning seems surprised that so many people are angry over this country hosting the Fifth Summit of the Americas. I wrote a few weeks ago that having committed the country to the summit when he did, he no doubt thought that we could afford that $500 million or whatever the real cost was.

He must have felt, too, that just having all hemispheric Heads of Government here would boost his image as a the premier Caribbean leader. I do not dispute his reasoning that the country would benefit from world recognition, only because it was billed as the battleground between Presidents Obama and Chavez.
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