The decision by the authorities to shift the climax of the annual Great Race from Store Bay, Crown Point to Scarborough has caused business operators and promoters from Crown Point to raise alarms about their possible loss of revenue. The past 41 years, the Great Race has been a profitable time for those who operate at the Store Bay venue where the race ended. The likely loss of revenue by the Sore Bay operators has caused them to unite and protest the decision of the authorities.

Whatever the decisions of the authorities for the shifting of the event from Crown Point to Scarborough, one question which must now be given consideration is that of domestic tourism. Since the financial meltdown in the metropolitan countries, there has been a dramatic downturn in visitor arrivals in Trinidad and Tobago. This has had a negative impact on the revenues of Tobago's service providers in the tourism sector. The hotels, guesthouses, food outlets, transport and vendors will all been affected. It is the domestic visitors from Trinidad who have been keeping some of these service providers surviving. Therefore, on big weekends such as during the Easter and August is when these Tobago business operators hope to make good capital to cover for these periods. Here is where the THA tourism sector needs to put some emphasis. There must be creative ideas from the authorities to boost domestic tourism in Tobago.

In Tobago, enough use is not being made of our sea fronts in terms of creating and promoting cultural and sporting events as a means of attracting Trinidadians and Caribbean visitors. Why do we have to wait on the boat race people from Trinidad to organise an event for our Tobago business operators to make a dollar? Surely the THA can partner with established Tobago promoters in creating events which can be attractive to visitors.

The Tobago Fest initiative was one event which began to attract hundreds of Trinidadians and some Caribbean visitors to the island. Most unfortunately the THA bosses withheld their funding and killed an event which had the potential to be one of the mega cultural events in the Caribbean.

We believe the time has come for those in control of Tobago to work with the people of Tobago and find innovative ways of boosting our domestic tourism all over the island.