New Web site attracts more visitors to Tobago

A booking engine of a brand new Web site aimed at making Tobago the vacation destination in the Caribbean brought in $100,000 in revenue for hotels and guesthouses on the island soon after it was officially launched.

The Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association spent the last year working on the site which features information about the island, trip ideas, a map, photo gallery, attractions and the booking engine when visitors can book their dream holiday to Tobago in seconds. There is also a chat feature where visitors can ask questions about the island and receive an immediate response.

The Web site was created by Synapse Development Group, designed by the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association’s Marketing Committee and funded by the Tourism Division of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), which continually supported the idea of a new look website. It was launched at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort, with the Minister of Tourism Stephen Cadiz and Avion Hercules, representing the Division of Tourism, among the invited guests.

Chairman of the Marketing Committee, Duane Kenny said: “Technology is now the key to marketing a destination. Ninety per cent of holiday bookings in the UK alone are influenced by something online and we need to tap into that. 

“The look of a Web site is key and ours has a nice, clean presentation and is full of exciting content and photos which are updated regularly. It can be downloaded to any device which makes it extremely user friendly. It is an invaluable way to market Tobago and hotels and guesthouses on the island are already seeing the benefits.” The site links into social media like Facebook and You Tube which are key tools in influencing where visitors choose to spend their vacation.

President of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association, Nicholas said: “This is a momentous day. A tremendous amount of work has gone into this project and I can proudly say that we now have one of the best Web sites representing Tobago. Ninety eight per cent of our members are now subscribed to the site and we’re now looking forward to the benefits. We could not have done it without the support and commitment of the Tourism Division of the Tobago House of Assembly, Synapse and the hard work of marketing committee.”

The new Web site is available at www.tobagohoteltourism.com