The Americas Tourism

The country’s annual Carnival celebration is a unique and distinctive event, and as such has the potential to play an even greater role than it already does in the local tourism industry. National Geographic magazine lists the Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago as one of the world’s “Top 10 Pre-Lenten Celebrations”, noting that the custom was started in...

Tourism plays a significant role in Trinidad and Tobago’s economy. But unlike much of the rest of the Caribbean, where tourism is the most important industry, in T&T it is of secondary importance, behind the energy sector and on a somewhat lower level than financial services and manufacturing. Like Cuba, T&T differs from the rest of its Caribbean peers because it...

The contribution of cruise ship visits to the wider tourism industry is subject to some debate. It is generally agreed that Trinidad and Tobago receives fewer cruise ship visits than other parts of the Caribbean. Some propose policies to correct this and try to attract more ships. Others argue that cruise ship tourism – described as bringing in large numbers of visitors...

Buoyed by increasing connectivity and promotional efforts at the international level, Panama’s meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) segment has seen stable growth in the past few years. Panama forms a key part of the MICE market in the Central American region, and the short-term outlook for the segment is promising. Expansion of MICE infrastructure,...

The economic development Panama has experienced over the past decade has had a lasting impact on the tourism sector. Buoyed by expanded connectivity and increasing investment in hotels and convention centres, the sector has experienced unprecedented growth in the past few years. Today, it is a pillar of Panama’s economic development, generating more revenues than transit...