Story by RISHARD KHAN (rishard.khan@guardian.co.tt)
Government is creating a committee to explore various options in reopening T&T's borders, the Minister of Tourism Randall Mitchell told Guardian Media outside the Red House, following the presentation of the Mid-Year Budget review on Friday.
"The pandemic really has shaken the travel and tourism industry to its core. Right now we are in the midst of setting up a committee to look into the setting up of protocols—the health and safety protocols—from source, meaning the traveller, when they check into the airport, the travel when you get onto the plane and when you arrive at the destination," he said.
He also explained that health and safety protocols for when these travellers arrive at hotels and other establishments were also being examined.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to push the reset button so we have to adapt to the new normal and we have to give our tourism stakeholders that advantage in order to adapt to the new normal," Mitchell said.
The country's borders have been closed to all international travel for well over two months now. That also includes the arrival of any tourists on cruise ships. However, the government is in the process of mitigating some of its effects to stakeholders in the industry, such as through its $50 million grant to hoteliers in Tobago.