Talking Tourism in Tobago
Phill Diamond Williams is a Tobago entrepreneur, home grown and educated. He understands that what visitors want in Tobago is what Tobagonians want for themselves. One of the challenges is to validate the easy-going values-based Tobago way of life so that it remains the island offering that raises the bar in the tourism industry. He talks with Pat Ganase.
I grew up in Bon Accord. Both parents are from Bethel. I have one sister. My mother worked at the MK Hall School in Carnbee and I had lessons there. It was a model school and should never have closed.
At the age of 19 (2003), I went to Trinidad to the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) to work towards a business degree. I completed the Bachelor’s and went on to an MBA which I achieved in 2010. I stayed to work at the USC, moving into the accounting department before I left in 2015.
I wanted to return to Tobago and build my own business. I started selling cars, foreign used and local used. It’s unfortunate and unfair that this business is being stifled now, mainly because the quotas being applied to used car imports does not affect the import of brand new cars. It seems to be weighted for or against certain income brackets.
Since 2015, I have been working in my father’s business which is transportation; I started driving a maxi; I still drive for some tours.
TTT EXCURSIONS
My business is TTT Excursions, Trinbago Tropical Tours and Excursions, which offers a wide variety of island tours, historical, land and sea activities, beach, birding, fishing; as well as transportation in Tobago – airport and cruise ship transfers, school children.
Through the Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (THTI), I qualified as a tour guide. The certification course is six to eight weeks. That spurred my own curiosity, to read, to visit the library and museum, to talk with elders in the community.
COVID-19 dealt a major blow to the industry. Everything was cancelled since March last year. Our international guests were mainly from Europe and Canada. Now, we are developing products for Trinidadians.
What we offer in Tobago differentiates us from other islands. Tobago is fortunate with natural diversity within our small island space. Beaches yes, but also rainforest, birds, our rich history – Tobago changed hands over 30 times in 200 years – and fascinating culture and cuisine.
When it comes to vacations, people have a wide range of interests. We do need to have attractions that cater to groups, individuals, families, ages, interests. Located in a different place, Sandals could have attracted a certain group of customers; there are people who want to come to the Caribbean to do nothing but laze on a beach and be waited on.
Our European visitors have always been more outdoors oriented. They want to hike, to walk in the rainforest, to go bird watching, to go out on a fishing boat, to meet people. They are more interested in culture and history, water wheels, the museum, our food, our people.
HOW TOBAGONIANS SEE TOBAGO
Tobago has a different philosophical approach from other islands. We work to live; we do not live to work. Life is not necessarily about abundance and acquisition. We want enough for our families. We want to watch the sea; this is a real pleasure. What you feel when you land in Tobago: laid back, relaxed, it’s a genuine vibe. This spirit of contentment, by and large, is what keeps the island safe. This general sense of safety and ease gives us comfort and confidence. Of course, influences from the outside are changing us.
We need to preserve and validate our way of life by allowing others the experience. We try to do this in different ways, through the Heritage Festival with its enactment of culture, games and traditional industry, like dancing the cocoa.
As a trusted tour operator, I can offer anything – reef boat and barbecue, bioluminescence, coastline, Little Tobago, historical, underwater – through partnerships with other operators.
THE CULINARY TOUR
This tour started just before COVID-19 shut everything down. I am now restarting; we had a small group of Trinis two-three weeks ago. This is not driving around Tobago tasting and eating. We offer experiences at various locations. For instance at the Dirt Oven, the baker shows how it is packed with wood, bamboo and coconut husks, how it is lit. Visitors get a chance to mix the bread, shape coconut drops; and then to eat fresh bread straight out of the oven. We worked with a fisherman on the beach to create a roast fish and roast breadfruit meal. Vegetables from an organic garden were roasted to accompany the fish and breadfruit.
The culinary tour lets us experience foods in a way that a restaurant could not. We have a chocolate making experience, and we offer cooking demonstrations for crab and dumpling. We tailor tours to different interests; we have that flexibility working with the cooks, and with small groups.
TOBAGO BEYOND
We were starting to see the difference by early 2020; we had higher numbers of visitors and I really want to believe it was because of the strategy of the Tobago Tourism Agency. The promotions are more active and green, targeting specific sectors, such as birding enthusiasts from Europe.
We are a very appealing island, moving in the direction of becoming an eco-destination. We can improve on this with alternate energy such as solar; and initiatives to preserve the environment. These are the things that differentiate us from other Caribbean islands. Our small size is a benefit since so many diverse experiences are close to each other.
We do need to improve the standard of our facilities and service. This does not mean bigger; it means a focus on quality through maintenance and customer service. There is need for Tobago in all endeavours – not just hotels - to be dedicated to customer service: gentleness and genuine interest in serving people can compensate for what else we might lack in physical structures.
We need to infect people with an attitude to serve with professionalism. We have to take pride in what we do. We have a few good examples of people making the effort to renew commitment: the refurbished Shepherd’s Inn; revitalized Mt Irvine Bay Resort, Blue Waters Inn and Castara Retreats. Each has its own character but the main thing is customer service excellence.
The community concept in Castara works well for them: a village that is its own tourism product. I would like to see it extended to every village where people come together to define their unique flavour in the Tobago mix. By developing such products for Tobago, we can be one of the best little destinations.
TOBAGO ENTREPRENEUR
I don’t believe that the government should do everything. We can change things from the ground up. I want to be that person on the ground making change. I expect I will be an entrepreneur for life.
I believe an entrepreneur can be a catalyst. One of my challenges is getting people to work together to make us more competitive. It’s expensive just to arrive in Tobago for a vacation from Europe or Canada. When people come to Tobago, we don’t want to hear how they could have gone to Grenada or Barbados and spent less. I am working with other providers to put together packages that are affordable. When Trinis come to Tobago, the prices of packages should reflect the proximity of Trinidad to Tobago. We have to realise that value for money will win more customers and create a faster growing market.
Bread
baked in a dirt oven seems to taste better! The culinary tour allows visitors
to help heat the oven, knead the bread, and then enjoy hot loaves slathered
with butter. Photos courtesy Phill Williams
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