and mud until sunrise . Later in the day on Monday and all day on Tuesday , thousands of masqueraders flood the streets throughout the islands in bold , colourful costumes , dancing through the parade routes to the exhilarating sound of soca , steelpan and calypso music . Most importantly , everybody participates in the festivities , there is an appropriate activity for everyone . The kids get their portion of the fun on Carnival Saturday with the Kiddies Carnival Parade . Traditional Carnival characters like theMidnight Robber , the Pierrot Granade , and the Dames Lorraines are on display at traditional carnival parades . And of courseon the main parade days , one has the opportunity to join any of the mas ’ ( masquerade ) bands where the more glitzy costumes are the order of the day ! This is what sets us apart .
What types of investment in your tourism sector are you hoping to attract ? Trinidad and Tobago intends to incorporate varied aspects of economic and socio-cultural endeavours in order to attract investment . In particular , the Tourism Development Act , Chapter 87:22 ( TDA ) plays an important role in helping to position the country ’ s tourism industry as a high return investment opportunity , by providing a range of tax benefits and customs and excise duty exemptions . Attracting investment in the tourism sector is consistent with our development plans for diversification .
We hope to attract investments in the following areas within the tourism sector :
ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES which include : integrated resort developments ( IRDs ) 3 / 4 / 5-star hotels , camp sites , dive and eco-lodges and guest houses .
TOURISM ANCILLARY FACILITIES such as : marinas , boatyards , water sports , tour operations and transportation services , dive operations , charter boats and cruise activities , recreational space and theme parks , golf courses and cultural centres .
OTHER TOURISM PROJECTS namely : convention / conference centres , historical landmarks and sites , shopping facilities and other tourism infrastructure
Investment in these areas will promote the development of our supporting tourism niche markets :
• Cruise
• Event tourism , which envelopes music , cultural festivals , and sporting events
• Dive
• Ecotourism , which includes turtle watching , bird watching , hikes and trails , and natural attractions
• Weddings and Honeymoons
• Business , which includes Meetings , Incentives , Conferences and Exhibitions ( MICE ) tourism
• Shopping
• Yachting
What are your short term goals for the tourism sector ? My short term goals encompass infrastructure development , continued stakeholder involvement , increasing tourist arrivals and ensuring that the sector significantly contributes to foreign exchange earnings . One of my short term goals is to see an increase in the number of cruise vessels visiting our ports over the next three years . Many of the negotiations are complete and we are poised to significantly and positively impact cruise arrivals .
We are also in negotiation to field a hospitality school on behalf of a major cruise liner . We are set to facilitate a bed and breakfast franchise . We are encouraging communities to create sites and attractions especially to expand the scope of tourist arrivals .
The short term goal is for the populace of Trinidad of Tobago to benefit in practical ways from the tourism industry , and as a consequence make our tourism offerings and products more appealing to the traveller .
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