Tobago Tourism Agency shines at International Travel & Tourism Awards

Last night, the Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd’s hard work on their Tobago Beyond destination marketing campaign paid dividends. Their Revitalising Tobago Tourism by Gravity Global team won the Silver Award for Best National Tourism Board Campaign in the International Travel & Tourism Awards, presented by the World Travel Market in London.

Here’s more on the campaign:

The aim of this project is to revitalise the international appeal of Tobago as a real challenger holiday destination for those seeking a Caribbean holiday. The first challenge was to identify what is special about Tobago and to create its own authentic personality and proposition detaching it from Trinidad and other Caribbean destinations. Research showed little is known about Tobago, yet travellers that had visited the island and experienced its many attractions rated the island very highly. With limited resources in comparison to other Caribbean destinations, focusing on specific markets and traveller segments was a key part of the strategy. All KPIs have outperformed and resulted in double digit growth of arrivals in eight months, with the last three months showing 22%, 29% and 40% growth respectively. Travel Trade research shows positive recall and traveller pull through from the campaign. With verbatim comments from agents such as: “We usually have to suggest Tobago as a destination but lately clients are asking for it specifically”; “I really do think it offers something different to many of the other islands”; and “the branding stands out for me more than any other island.”

The other nominees in the category for the prestigious award were Incredible India; The St Kitts Shout Out, Azerbaijan: Take Another Lookand Feel Slovenia, Experience Croatia (which placed third, earning a nod of Highly Commended from the judges); while the Gold Award went to #GetNZontheMap by Tourism New Zealand.

Tobago also placed in the top three amongst eight finalists in the Best Destination Campaign — Country category, earning the Highly Commended recognition.

Louis Lewis, CEO of the Tobago Tourism Agency, was thrilled at the award: “I am very excited about getting this award, and being recognised as second in the world. This accolade is bigger than just the Agency — it’s about where the destination is going and how we are comparing against global competitors.”

Present at the event to accept the awards was a joint delegation led by Chief Secretary the Honourable Kelvin Charles, which included Secretary of Tourism, Culture & Transportation Councillor Nadine Stewart Phillips; Tobago Tourism Agency Limited officials; Tobago’s PR firm Gravity Global; and UK destination representatives AMG Ltd.

Commenting on Tobago’s incredible wins at the International Travel & Tourism Awards, the Chief Secretary stated: “I think that this is a most wondrous and fantastic moment. After two years, the fact that a small island comprising approximately 65,000 persons, with a Tourism Agency only two years old, can husband the limited resources given to it and win in such a prestigious award setting says a lot for the potential of the people of Tobago, and of Trinidad & Tobago. I take this opportunity to commend and congratulate the Tobago Tourism Agency; the Division of Tourism, Culture & Transportation and the Secretary; all the stakeholders in the industry who have contributed; and of course those who are aligned to the Office of the Chief Secretary, for a collective effort that has resulted in what we are celebrating here tonight.”

Secretary Stewart-Phillips echoed the sentiments of the Chief Secretary and expressed her delight at Tobago receiving the internationally acclaimed awards. “I am elated and extremely proud that the destination has received this notable Silver Award and Highly Commended ahead of other top destinations in the world. These accolades are as a result of strategic branding, effective marketing, and a collective effort. Tobago Beyond Ordinary has taken the world by storm, registering millions of impressions on social media and other digital platforms and this was all possible through the synergies and hard work of the Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd and Gravity Global, who were the creative minds behind this campaign.”

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