Even as government officials devise strategies to deal with this country’s economic downturn, the American Chamber of Commerce continues to invest in the nation’s future dreamers.

Through its National Youth Productivity Forum (NYPF), the lobby group aims to foster a new culture where national undertakings are tackled more efficiently, says president of the American Chamber of Commerce of T&T Ravi Suryadevara, who is calling on citizens to embrace the downturn.

“Use the opportunity to become more efficient, more productive and ready to take advantage when the market rebounds. As the research clearly shows, organisations need both diversity and inclusion to be successful and T&T needs successful organisation in the quest to build a productive, creative and knowledge-based workforce. While we at AmChamTT continue to do our part, we continue to call on all stakeholders to assist in creating avenues for youth engagement and inclusion,” he said.

The Chamber head was speaking at the organisation’s seventh Annual National Youth Productivity Forum, held at the O’Meara Campus of the University of T&T, with the theme:  Diversity…Inclusion…Towards A More Productive T&T. 

Guardian Media Limited was a sponsor of the event along with UTT, First Citizens, Massy Technologies InfoCom, EOG Resources, Beacon Insurance, EZone, Point Lisas Nitrogen and Unesco.

Suryadevara applauded AmCham’s corporate partners for agreeing to take in 18 of the participating students as interns during the August vacation as “diversity ambassadors,” with the aim of assisting students in the real-life application of theories learnt.

He praised the vision of officials at the Education Ministry and the Division of Education and Youth Affairs for allowing students to reimagine the way they envisage life beyond the classroom to take part in the project, which won international acclaim among 23 other AmChams in the western hemisphere the first year it was introduced.

According to the Chamber official, NYPF was deemed to be both innovative and creative.

“Yet, despite these successes, the Forum is still plagued by misconceptions—misconceptions that programmes like this hinder student’s performance in schools. The truth is programmes like this are complementary to the school curriculum. For T&T to become the ‘Caribbean’s Economic Tiger’, a laudable goal that I believe we can achieve, we must have an education system that develops creativity, entrepreneurship, problem-solving and critical thinking—all tenants of the NYPF.

“Through the various components of the NYPF, students learn a range of skills—not simply for use during the competition, or even to be applied to every subject at school, but they learn life skills, skills that they need at every point in their lives.”

President of the T&T Publishers and Broadcasters Association, Daren Lee Sing, has put industry practitioners on alert citing possible threats to press freedom, based on proposed legislation contained in the new Strategic Services Agency (SSA) Amendment Bill.

Delivering remarks at Tuesday’s World Press Freedom Day dinner and awards ceremony at the Jaffa Restaurant, Queen’s Park Oval, Tragarette Road, Port-of-Spain, he said:

“While sitting in our journalism workshop, my mobile phone was bombarded with calls and texts not to discuss today’s World Press Freedom Day but instead to ask for comments on the latest bill, the SSA Amendment Bill, which seems to have now included cybercrimes as serious crimes and tenets of the now defunct Cybercrime Bill.”

Lee Sing added: “But while we support the theoretical purpose of the bill, its subjectivity can and may infringe on press freedom. 

“So on behalf of all of us, the artists painting this Trinbago media landscape, I am appealing to our line minister and former colleague in media, Minister (Maxie) Cuffie. 

“There needs to be consultation on this matter and we will be ready to hold discussions with the Government and the Parliament as this bill progresses and before it is brought to life.”

He said press freedom was a right the local industry could not take for granted, citing that around the world this year’s  observance was marked by a series of unsettling events. He said in Egypt, the interior minister marked World Press Freedom Day by storming press syndicates, while there was a whatsapp blackout in Brazil. 

Meanwhile, in Syria, a Kurdish radio station in Rojava continued to broadcast, while under attack, he added.

Majority state-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) will continue to invest millions in T&T’s information, communication and technology sector even as it deals with the effects of the economic downturn, chief marketing officer Camille Campbell said on Tuesday night.

In remarks at the T&T Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TPBA) annual dinner and awards ceremony at Jaffa Restaurant, Queen’s Park Oval, she said: “Digital media has really been a liberating phenomenon with all the attendant promises and accompanying pitfalls. The presence of established media in these spaces has had the positive effect of giving consumers the opportunity to compare side by side, the reliability of content that is fashion by principals of journalism and content that may be passionate.

“As the only national full service provider of communications services, TSTT is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to the technology that is fostering digital communities, digital conversations, digital advocacy and digital co-ordination that has reached such critical mass that is has provoked individuals and institutions of the state to take action in cases that, in the past, would have been ignored. 

“Technology has empowered ordinary individuals to cast a powerful and far reaching spotlight on the un-attractive depths of our society and forces people to act.”

Campbell praised media practitioners and owners for the responsibility they demonstrated when they embraced self-regulation. When there were calls for revision of censorship measures, she said, it was encouraging to know the sector could quickly organise to constructively address industry failings.

She also praised the TTPBA’s efforts to honour individuals from various arms of the media whose careers exemplified excellence and who had played a significant role in shaping the local media landscape.

The late Patrick Chookolingo, founder of the T&T Mirror, was honoured along with Margaret Elcock, CEO at Isaac 98.1FM and Anthony Chow Lin On (Chinese Laundry) of T&T Radio Network (96.1 WEFM, 107.7 and Star 94.7 HD) for contributions to the development and advancement of the industry.

Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe has told the Tourism Development Company’s (TDC) Conventions Bureau to ensure T&T takes advantage of the billion-dollar convention market.

Citing a World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) report which shows that business travel spending is expected to grow by 1.2 per cent to US$3 billion this year, the minister urged the agency to take advantage of this lucrative market. 

“T&T Convention Bureau acts as a one-stop shop for meeting planners seeking independent information and assistance on hosting events in T&T,” she said in her address at Meeting Planners Cocktail Reception and Cultural Night at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre held to welcome nine US planners who are in T&T on a study tour and assured they would find that the destination was a viable alternative.

“Tourism has become a major player in international commerce, with its business volume equaling or even surpassing that of oil exports, food products or automobiles,” Cudjoe said.

“There is an increasing appetite for travel the world over and the Caribbean continues to be a region of high appeal.” 

In addition to the country’s energy based economy, the minister said the financial and manufacturing sectors have bolstered T&T’s position as a premier meetings destination in the Caribbean. She said growth in these areas, in addition to increasing airlift, advancing technology and ever-increasing internationally branded hotels, gave T&T the push it needed to develop the largest hotel conference facilities in the South Caribbean.

“North Americans are expected to travel in force this year, thanks to the improving US economy and strong US dollar. Out bound trips were up by five per cent last year, which was ahead of forecast,” she said.

“WTTC stated that about 60 per cent of trips are for holiday purposes, while the remaining 40 per cent are split between business travel and visiting friends and family (VFR) in 2015. In the case of T&T, the reverse was true. Roughly 60 per cent of trips were split between business travel and VFR, while the remaining 40 per cent of trips are for holiday purposes.”

Cudjoe said a report from IPK International, a leading travel consulting firm, predicted a five per cent increase in North American out bound travel this year, based on its Travel Confidence Index which measured travel intention. The firm’s president Rolf D Freitag said 2016 should be the best year that the North American outbound travel market has ever seen. 

With such an optimistic forecast, said Cudjoe, “it is expected that the conference and meeting scheduled ought to be full.” 

She said business tourism make up about 20 per cent of all arrivals to T&T and 80 per cent of business tourism arrivals come from the North American market. 

Getting a winning team of athletes to the Rio, Brazil, Olympics this August and ensuring the Soca Warriors mount a successful campaign for the 21st FIFA World Cup in Russia, in 2018 remains the two clear priorities of the Keith Rowley-led administration, said Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Darryl Smith.

Even as finance minister Colm Imbert juggles the issues of lower than desired energy prices, which affected the amount of revenue government has collected to meet the needs of citizens, Smith said athletes preparing to represent T&T at these events should remain focused and allow government to address issues that arose.

Inside the final 100-day countdown to the 2016 Rio Olympics, Smith told the T&T Guardian he to date he’s still unable to produce a budget for both events.

“Like I have said before, it’s the first time I am doing a budget in pencil, so nothing is etched in stone. We living in a country where we know our economy relies on oil and gas. We have become accustomed to that. From day one, we said Olympics and the World Cup qualifier are our two top priorities,” he said.

Smith continued: “In gymnastics, it’s the first time we get a spot there; in rowing Ms Chow (Felice Aisha); the super heavyweight (boxer) in Mr Paul (Nigel); in cycling we have Mr Phillip (Njisane); and we have Mr Gordon (Jehue) with the hurdles. Of course, we are anticipating that Bovell (George) is in, and we are anticipating the track team. Ato Boldon is doing fantastic work with the women. With his camp, we have Richard “Torpedo” Thompson. We have Cleopatra (Borel) and a number of others out there. We are hoping we’ll have a big team going over. As much as we could possibly help, we will do our best to help the team.” 

He added that the Ministry has stepped in to assist Olympic sailor Andrew Lewis, who required major medical treatment following a freak accident in Rio, last year, while conducting pre-Olympic training.

In addition, getting Olympic swimmer Bovell to major championships around the world at which he did this country proud was a cost the ministry absorbed in the athletes continued pursuit and delivery of excellence.

“We had to assist him. Mr Bovell is doing very good. I want to congratulate him on winning two gold medals. That wasn’t part of the budget. We assisted him. As you go through your seasons, things prop up. You qualify for things. We had to cut seven per cent from our budget. That represented $33 million dollars. We are watching the oil price. 

“A lot of people are jumping up and saying the oil price up in the forties, but they don’t understand that three months down the road we would benefit from that. Minister (Colm) Imbert is doing a juggling act. 

“But I will tell you this. It’s the earliest our Olympic athletes have ever got their cheques and they are very pleased about that.”        

Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe yesterday confirmed that communications professional Dennise Demming has been fired as chairman of the Tourism Development Company (TDC) and that attorney Richard Duncan, who already serves as a director on the board, was promoted.

This comes on the heels of one other director, Dennis Sammy’s appointment being revoked around March, and another, Sherry Katwaroo-Ragbir, tendering her resignation days after she was appointed last November.

“She has been removed and replaced,” Cudjoe told the T&T Guardian yesterday. She was speaking to reporters at the opening of the Tourism Health and Safety Symposium at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine.

Six months ago, the new board of directors for TDC was installed with Demming at the helm. She had previously served as the campaign manager for Cudjoe in Tobago West in the run-up to the September 7 general election. 

The T&T Guardian learned Demming’s relationship with her directors was frosty and in frustration they reportedly penned letters of complaints questioning her leadership of the organisation.

 Cudjoe, when pressed on the matter, said: “I don’t think it affects the operations of the board. We have a new chairman who is already a member of the board, Mr Richard Duncan, so the board is moving ahead with its business. 

“We do admit there had been some interruptions and some challenges but the board and the company is moving full speed ahead with its business.”

Demming yesterday admitted she was terminated, effective May 4, and the reason was that the Government decided “to reconstitute the board.” She received an official letter yesterday. 

However, Demming said the bigger picture was getting State boards to function in the proper way.

“How do we ensure that they are selected in a way that good citizens are able to operate? How do we ensure the future of our country is protected and those are things we ought to be focusing on?” she asked. Her relationship with Cudjoe, she said, was good as with everybody else because she never burned her bridges.

Despite her termination, she said her issue was about governance and not herself. 

“I would like us to focus on governance, accountability and transparency,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Sammy, managing director of Nature Seekers, said it was a Cabinet decision and he was officially informed via a letter from the Ministry of Finance.

“I am not sure what happened but I received the letter and I abided. The decision was taken in March and the letter came after.”

Asked what the letter stated, Sammy said he was thanked for his services and that his appointment was revoked.

“That’s it,” he added.

Sammy said he had a “fantastic” conversation with the minister about the issue and that there was nothing he could “pinpoint” now that would have contributed to the revocation. His last meeting was in March. He said, however, everything has remained “very sketchy.”

He added: “My appointment being revoked is completely separate from what is happening now. I don’t know that anything is related at all.”

Not a day goes by without Machel Cedenio having thoughts of securing a place in the T&T contingent heading to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, scheduled for August, and ultimately securing gold.

But even as those images occupy his mind, the champion quarter-miler knows he has crucial adjustments to make to his strength and conditioning training to produce the results required to attain his intended champion feat.

“I run fast, but I’m weak,” Cedenio told the T&T Guardian. “I am not as strong as I think I was based on the test they did (at the Michael Johnson Performance Centre). What we did, we went back to the drawing board, re-evaluating certain stuff so I could do better.”

Cedenio was one of nine local elite athletes admitted to a one-week High Performance Summit at the Michael Johnson Performance (MJP) Centre at its World Training Centre in McKinney, Texas, last November.

Jarrin Solomon, Richard Thompson, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Semoy Hackett, Mikel Thomas, Emmanuel Callender and Wayne Davis, were the other athletes enrolled in the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC)/ bpTT sponsored programme designed as part of this country’s Rio medal push.

He applauded the TTOC’s decision and firmly believes the decision meant officials at the TTOC believed in him.

“I am not the kind of person to count my chickens before they have hatched!  So, I’ll just pray, work hard every day! Yes, once I put my mind to anything, I’ll try my best to achieve it. We (my coach Lance Brauman and I) talk about the Olympics every day. He wants me to go out there and win a medal. Once my coach believes in me, I can more than believe in myself to win a gold medal,” said Cedenio.  

“I’m a medal hopeful. So you know once they believe in me it’s good.  I think going out was there was the best thing T&T could do for an athlete. It’s really amazing that you can learn your whole sport in a week. With hard work and dedication anything is possible. Once you put your mind to it, you can achieve it.   I learnt that sport has no age barrier. You can be 20 and win an Olympic gold. Just try hard, focus, stay in school and have fun.”

Cedenio was amazed by the type of equipment available at MJP to scientifically test athletes’ strength, fitness and endurance, whether it was by slowing down their running motion or quickening it. He expressed delight that programmes at MJP targeted the mental well-being of its clients and also prepared them for their interactions with the media.

The MJP Summit, therefore, in his view was vital for T&T medal hopefuls, heading to Rio.

CEO of the Tourism Development Company (TDC) Keith Chin says despite the challenges to growth in T&T’s tourism sector, the experience gained as an active player in the global sector better positions this country to claim a larger share of the global market.

In remarks at the launch of a Tourism Health and Safety Symposium at the Teaching and Learning Complex, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Chin underscored the TDC’s commitment to its mandate of developing and marketing T&T’s tourism products.

“Like many of our world’s industries today, the tourism industry operates in a globally-competitive environment. In fact, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, tourism is the fastest growing global industry. 

“Operating within a US$1000 billion industry, destination T&T is competing with global and regional players with vast years of experience in tourism under their belts. 

“But as any good marketer knows, the key to success as a late entrant or as the underdog, is to adopt distinctive positioning and innovative marketing strategies and to exploit gaps in the market,” he said.

“The TDC has identified key market niches that we can tap into as a destination, namely: culinary tourism, festivals and culture tourism, eco-tourism and sport tourism. We have several special offerings in each one of these niches to attract visitors to our shores. 

“To successfully promote our tourism products to the world, we have to put on our product development and quality control caps. 

“We must ensure that our tourism products meet and exceed quality standards—in some cases we may even have to set the standards.”

Chin said the conference was held at a time when stakeholders were taking critical look at the products and services offered to visitors to make destination T&T the preferred choice of regional and international holiday markets.

From accommodation providers, tour guides and tour operators, tourist taxi drivers, restaurants, bars, street food vendors, community tourism groups and hospitality and tourism students all had a role to play in the promotion of T&T tourism globally.

“This is why the symposium was designed, to help understand what you need to do to protect the health and safety of your guests and customers and to equip you with the knowledge to develop and implement sustainable standard operating procedures in the industries within which you operate,” he said.

“Our intention is to host these tourism health and safety symposiums on a quarterly basis for the edification of all tourism operators in our country. 

“We are on a mission to transform the tourism industry in T&T. It has been postulated repeatedly over the years that tourism has the potential to be significant revenue generator for T&T’s economy. 

“It is especially important now, as our economy craves new and diverse sources of revenue.”

The most effective marketing strategies in the world won’t bolster the tourism sector if the products being offered to guests are poor, says Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe.

Speaking to media following the launch of a Tourism, Health and Safety Symposium at the Teaching and Learning Complex, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, the minister said: “For the most in the tourism sector, we get a lot of complaints about marketing, but you can market—spend all your money and your efforts on marketing—if your product is not up to standard, then you find yourself in trouble. 

“One bad outbreak as it relates to health, as it relates to some kind of sickness, as it relates to food poisoning, could ruin the reputation of a destination and could cause trouble for the sector.”

Cudjoe expressed satisfaction at the work of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in setting standards,and committing to training of stakeholders in association with the Tourism Development Company and the Ministry of Tourism.

It was not common, she said, for an organisation like CARPHA and similar international agencies to go beyond standards implementation and facilitate workshops.

Cudjoe said T&T’s street food culture where at any time, in any setting and at almost any cost across the country delectable cuisine could be had is something the Keith Rowley administration is proud of.

“We want to make sure that the handling is up to standard (and) that we follow international best practices. Tourism is playing a more prominent role in the economic development and expansion of T&T, so industry stakeholders, both private and public, have to work together to ensure that we perform at our very best, to ensure visitors come back again and again, not just for our foods, but the warmth of our people and our culture. 

“Another thing that I’m really happy about is that CARPHA would have moved really quickly and would have gone the extra mile in getting Tobago on board. That is one thing I am very adamant about. 

“They have invited the Tobago House of Assembly to introduction meetings and now they are moving full speed ahead. So this same training that is going to take place for the next two days in Trinidad will roll out in Tobago. CARPHA has made us a priority.”

The minister added: “In this day and age, product development is even more important than marketing, because if you have a good product, a quality product it wouldn’t take too much marketing for a visitor to come and experience that high quality product. In this day and age of social media, messages get across the world very quickly and it would take one bad trip advisor review or one negative tweet or facebook post–and that would have brought your marketing strategy no matter how sophisticated and complex and expensive your marketing strategy would have been—that would have brought it down to zero. 

“So we have our role to play and great responsibility to ensure that what we say we have is what we really have here in T&T.”

A loophole in the Industrial Relations Act Chapter 88:13 is preventing Government from capturing the correct number of persons retrenched since September, says Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus.

She said, at present, the law only requires companies retrenching five or more persons to issue such notices to the ministry. Employers reducing their workforce by a number less than five had no legal obligation to communicate such information, which negatively affects the correlation of unemployment figures. 

On record, Baptiste-Primus said, approximately 890 persons lost their jobs between September and January. 

“But between September and present it is well over 1,500 that we know of.”

Baptiste-Primus said the weakness in the law has to be addressed, making it mandatory for all employers to report staff cuts to the Minister of Labour. 

“That’s the only way we can capture all the data, so that a realistic picture emerges and our policy decisions will be influenced by real data affecting the entire employment scenario in T&T,” she said.

The minister said jobs are becoming available, though not necessarily in the sectors those unemployed were in previously. She said the National Employment Service at the ministry is registering persons and employers on advertising vacancies. Those meeting the qualification requirements are being referred to employers desirous of hiring.

“We also interview those workers on behalf of the employers and then shuttle them across. There are a lot of different jobs opening up, but not necessarily within the area where persons have become unemployed. And, within the context of the economic downturn, workers will have to re-adjust their expectations,” she said.

“A job they would have done for 20 years is no longer there and therefore they will have to switch focus and do another job merely to survive,” she said.

As Government embarks consultation on amendments to the Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act, Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus has warned that there will be no quick fixes to the existing legislation.

“There are weaknesses in the Act that we need to strengthen and therefore we are bringing all the stakeholders together. And when I say all, I mean all. We are not addressing it in a tripartite framework meaning government, business and labour. 

“What we are doing, we are opening in it up to all the players: the regional chambers, all the unions, not only the trade union bodies, because this piece of legislation affects such a wide cross section of the community of citizens. 

“We have a sense of what will emerge based on what has been placed in the public sector, but the government will not go forward with any review of any of legislation without the input of all the stakeholders. In the final analysis, we all have to live here. We all have to continue to building this country,” she said.

Baptiste-Primus said there was a national consultation in February following which employers had to submit their views on amendment to the  Act. She said she had received opinions from the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM)  but recommendations from the National Trade Union Centre (Natuc) are still outstanding.

The minister said when the process is completed the information provided by stakeholders will be correlated into a working document and distributed to all parties to determine the next step towards amendment of the Industrial Relations Act.

“We will continue to seek consensus on the contentious areas while going forward on the areas of agreement. 

“This process is not a quick process. It’s not an overnight process. We (are) going to take our time and we are going to get it right. There will be frustration in between. Life is like that,” she said.   

Baptiste-Primus, who was interviewed on the sideslines of the Industrial Court’s  Annual Meet the Court Symposium which had as its theme Retrenchments and Lay-Offs, lauded the vision of the Industrial Court president Deborah Thomas-Felix.

She said the topic was ideally chosen and well timed, as it focused on what were the local, regional and international experiences, as well as the role and function of the Industrial Court in such matters.

“The reason and the validation of the Industrial Court is still real today, not only a court of superior record, but a court where justice and fair play is ensured for both employers and employees and therefore what we have to do in the final analysis, it breaks down to a point of establishing nurturing relationships and it is only when you do that, only then can true trust between the employers and the employees begin to formulate and cement itself,” she said.

Any drive to develop future leaders must begin with understanding their aspirations, says Nigel Baptiste, managing director of Republic Bank Limited. Far too often, he said, adults set themselves an agenda of providing fertile grounds for young adults with no clue as to their mind sets of ambitions.

In remarks at the 30th Annual Republic Bank Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme Graduation at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, he said: “Many people talk about building up the youth and about youth empowerment, but few seem to realise that any drive to develop future leaders must begin with a comprehensive understanding of toward which our future leaders aspire.” 

Baptise  told the graduates: “As we celebrate what you have achieved, we are really celebrating the emergence of another class of future leaders, young men and women who are better adapted to succeed in today’s working world, citizens more willing to become part of the bedrock of a more successful society and a stronger nation. Without a doubt, what you have learned here will benefit you in the future, since you are now better positioned to achieve your goals.”

He said the 44 teenagers took part in s seven-month programme which was more than an internship programme. They were spread throughout the bank’s branch network and had new opportunities for learning including field trips.

Over the past three decades, the Youth Link Programme has trained more than 1,500 young achievers..Baptiste said he and his team knew the importance of setting and achieving goals.

“Republic Bank has goals. We always do. They keep us moving forward. They keep us focused on the things and the people that matter most. In fact, one of the main goals for the Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme is to provide you young achievers with the right training, experience and environment for you to visualise and achieve your goals. 

“By doing this, we play our part in helping to generate the next class of future leaders and in doing so, keep the drive going as we build a more successful national community. In many ways, our goals’ success depends on your goals’ success. Now that you have spent seven months under our wing, developing professionally and personally, what are the next steps? What next steps for your future has the programme revealed?    

Baptiste added: “Whatever the course your take, what we hope for most is that you use the skills and experiences gained here, the friendships and memories, as both momentum and foundation as you move forward in your lives. We hope that the past seven months have given you insight into your goals and how you are going to achieve them.”

Local body fitness athletes Rocky Kewley and T’Chelle Harris were victorious in their respective categories at Saturday’s St Lucia Invitational Body-Building and Fitness Classic held at the Dame Pearlette Louisy Auditorium. Kewley beat eight contenders for the Men’s Physique Open Class, while Harris achieved a similar feat in the Body Fitness Open category.

The victories marked their competition debuts for 2016.

But as it turned out victory for Kewley had a special twist, as he revealed during an T&T Guardian interview from St Lucia: “I was confident coming into this competition because I had a score to settle with a top athlete from St Maarten, who defeated me in Anguilla. I came second in Anguilla.

I was rather confident. I knew for sure that my co-athlete T’Chelle Harris in the Body Fitness competition would have won because she won at CAC (Central American and Caribbean) and she came with a similar package. So I knew she was unbeatable. I placed second at CAC in the Bahamas. I lost by one point. Going into this competition (in St Lucia) I was hopeful that I would win because I got a lot of support from T&T.”

Ahead of the St Lucia Invitational Kewley hosted a fund-raiser event so that he could attend the competition. He revealed that public interest in his pursuits saw further donations from Elizabeth Montano of Machel Montano HD, Damian Rose of Europa Trinidad and an unkown group. Their additional investments helped him secured his fifth international title in the sport. 

While applying the requisite gym work in preparation for the competition Kewley sent images frequently to Suzanna Hadad, president of T&T Body Building and Fitness Federation to illustrate his progress. To his delight, Hadad would always reply expressing satisfaction with his progress.

Harris said: “The competition was a good one. It was a great experience for me coming out here to St Lucia. It was the first time they had this show. I feel good about competing. It gave me a good platform to motivate other younger athletes coming into the sport. When they see the package that I present, they would be able to train harder. 

“It gave them a goal to aspire too, based on what they saw at the show and to aspire to achieve a healthier lifestyle. My next competition would be the Inter-Island Caribbean Classic in St Maarten in July where I will present a bigger, better package: tighter, more conditioning, the whole works. 

“Everything will be better.”

The University of the West Indies (UWI) is committed to developing higher levels of competence and performance in the field of sports and will use opportunities to promote research in sports as a means of social and community intervention within society says its deputy principal Dr Rhoda Reddock.

“Sports is an integral part of the culture of the region and increasingly so in this season on the heels of the West Indies (WI) women and men teams’ dominance of World T20 cricket and of course, the highly anticipated 2016 Rio Olympics, where the region’s top athletes will compete in the most elite sporting event. We want to continue emphasising the importance of incorporating an academic approach to our region’s sports culture. It is our vision to promote a sustainable scientific approach to sport development in the Caribbean. Through research and discussion, we aim to develop strategies and mechanisms for the investigation, analysis and dissemination of information of physical education and sport in the Caribbean region,” she said.

“We looked at trends and needs within the region and discovered that along with an increased interest in professional and amateur sport within the region, physical fitness and regular exercise have become a priority focus of regional governments’ health campaigns and a major aspect of the average citizen’s lifestyle. We believe that physical literacy is the foundation of both participation and excellence in physical activity and sport. The focus on sport and fitness at both the professional and recreational levels has highlighted continued gender disparities in access and equality. As in many parts of the world, there may be an increase in the participation of women in sporting activities, but this has not necessarily translated into an increase in gender equality.”

UWI held a conference on Sport Studies and Higher Education: An Interdisciplinary Approach–Physical Literacy: Gender, Science and Sport for Development from May 18-20 at its St Augustine Campus. Dean Kriellaars, associate professor at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Manitoba was the featured speaker. 

Topics discussed included exercise, training and physical development, sport business and economics, sport for development, history, psychology of sport, women, gender and sport, physical education and athletic development, rehabilitation and performance, sport, media and technology, diet and nutrition, youth and youth athletes and Caribbean sport and anti-doping.

Since UWI and the First Citizens Sports Foundation collaborated and hosted the conference back in 2014, which Reddock described as both historic and path-breaking gaps across major sports regionally were believed to be closing through the education based approaches.

The deputy principal singled out the issue of gender equality and cited challenges faced by women in sport regionally since 1806 when female cricketers did not have access to male cricket clubs.

In fact, it was only 16 years ago, that women were accepted as members at St Anne’s, Barbados, even though the WI women’s team made its Test debut back in 1976.

Reddock related that it was during a two-day conference on regional cricket co-hosted by Caricom and the UWI Cave Hill Campus, Barbados that a resolution calling for gender discrimination within the cricket institutions in the region be immediately abolished and that all cricket clubs should implement a policy of encouraging female membership was passed.

Although the gender gap was closing, she said, there were still many areas that needed to be addressed and expressed hoped that now and in the future, through dialogue with stakeholders, could help create, monitor and evaluate the implementation of a gender policy in sport governing bodies in the region.

Community Development, Culture and the Arts Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has made it clear that slavery has never defined the people of T&T. 

Speaking at the Emancipation Support Committee’s (ESC) launch of the Pan African Festival and Commemoration of African Liberation Day, held on May 25, at Lion’s Cultural Centre, Fitzblackman Drive, Woodbrook, she said: “We are defined by our legacy, the rhythms of our music, the vibrancy of our culture, the boldness of our art, the savoury richness of our cuisine, the inspiring tales of our literature, the majesty of our drumming and yes, the strength of our people. 

“Africans have made history throughout the world—in the fields of medicine, economics, government, law, science and agriculture–just to name a few. If it is that our fates are intertwined, then we accept our common history and forge onwards with common destiny.”

Gadsby-Dolly continued, “The Pan African Festival at the Lidj Omowale Emancipation Village is a multidimensional commemoration of our African and Trinbagonian heritage and culture. It brings together members of the African diaspora: our brothers and sisters from Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania 

and Senegal, other Caribbean 

territories, Latin America and North America. 

“It inspires and exalts the essence of emancipation with a forum for communion, entertainment, education and awareness, entrepreneurship, cultural exchange and freedom.”

Pride filled the precincts at the ministry, she said, to join with ESC towards enhancing the cultural products and positively transform communities at the economic, social and psychological levels. The Government, she said, was working to leverage cultural heritage to benefit communities across T&T.

“The festival creates opportunity for awareness for our citizens. It bolsters cultural tourism. It involves members of the creative industries in communities across the nation. These include individual artistes, groups, steel orchestras, community performers, youth performers, members of the fashion industry, fine artists and craftsmen,” added Gadsby-Dolly. 

“The Pan African Festival brings communities together in a display of talent, discipline and organisation. To my African brothers and sisters, resilience is key. Remember the path laid by our fore-fathers. They were strong, hardworking and creative. They looked out for another.

“Remember who we are…the iron which when placed in the fire, came out as steel…our resilience with which to be reckoned,” she said.

Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe is optimistic the recently launched Soca On The Seas initiative will have tremendous benefits for local tourism sector in keeping with Government’s efforts to diversify the T&T economy.

The project, brainchild of Florida-based T&T national Juliana Fermin, is a three-day party cruise on board Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas from Miami to the Bahamas from October 28–31. Activities will include a celebrity cricket match, beach J’ouvert, performances by top soca acts, steelpan music, fashion displays, wire-bending demonstrations and other activities.

Reports that the Tourism and Culture ministries are funding the project to the tune of $450,000, has generated some controversy and criticism. However, Cudjoe has defended the initiative, saying it will provide endless opportunities for business while showcasing the best of T&T. 

“This will create avenues for local, regional and international press coverage and awareness of T&T’s culture and Caribbean cuisine in a luxurious and high-end setting, as well as attract trade linkages at all levels of the tourism and creative industries,” she said.

“This shows that T&T is not your typical Caribbean island destination. We are indeed so much more than sand, sea and sun. I like to describe T&T as Carnival central and the culture capital of the Caribbean. We are a people who like to entertain, to party, to lime. Anywhere you go, the story’s been told: Trinis know how to have a good time.”

The minister continued: “With all these prospects for tourism and all there is to offer, we must move with the times. We must be prepared to take our share. We must do all within our power to increase our lot. In order to get different results, we have to do things differently. 

“Sun, sand and sea is not enough to woo visitors. If you ought to remain relevant to the game, you must have much more to offer. Today’s tourist wants an authentic experience: curious about your history, crave cuisine, captivated by your culture. We know tourism is a numbers game. Not only about arrivals, but about how best we could export goods and services to create employment, generate economic activity and generate foreign exchange dollars for the benefit of our country.”

Performers booked for the event include Chutney Soca Monarch KI, Roy Cape All Stars, Bunji and Fay Ann, Alison Hinds, DJs Dawg E Slaughter, Private Ryan and Alicia D Duchess.

A survey by US magazine Travel and Leisure shows that most vacationers are sticking to their travel plans to Zika affected islands in the Caribbean despite advisories to do otherwise. The publication’s special projects editor Jacqueline Gifford revealed the findings at a luncheon sponsored by the magazine for regional tourism officials at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) 43rd Caribbean Week New York at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, Manhattan.

Gifford said Zika is clearly on the minds of travelers and the magazine is monitoring the latest developments for the benefit of readers on-line and in real time. She said another survey revealed that group travel and weddings planned for the region were cancelled and rebooked in territories believed to be Zika-free. Even so, a subsequent survey by Travel and Leisure’s advisory board, which constituted 18 of the world’s top travel agents, showed clients are keeping their travel plans to Zika affected regions. 

“Seventy-six per cent were keeping their plans, 13 per cent were cancelling their plans, six per cent were travelling the same day to non-Zika regions and five percent were postponing their plans,” she said.

“Also, 99 per cent of their clients were knowledgeable about the Zika virus. There are various levels of education here and I think the important thing to do is to keep this on-going process and to make sure that people stay aware. We are doing our job as a trusted media brand to do the same thing. It’s something we are monitoring and we want to make sure that everybody is on the same page and have the most up-to-date information.”

Gifford said the Caribbean retained its popularity despite the efforts of other markets to woo traveller and there are opportunities for growth in this market.

“The Caribbean is the number two market with Europe being number one. This is a really, really powerful market,” she said.

Gifford added: “I do think that culinary travel is something that is really popular right now and it’s only going to get bigger. Sometimes people are planning their trips around the meals that they want to have. They’ll look at the restaurants and then they’ll build a whole vacation about the reservations that they can make. 

“I know that many destinations are looking to grow things locally. That’s something that American travellers are coming to expect when it comes to farm to table–that kind of concept.”

The absence of reliable data is impeding efforts to develop T&T’s services sector says Karlene Roach, deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry. 

Speaking on behalf of Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon at a customer service strategy conference at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain, Roach said relevant data was largely absent, so the true scope of the services sector, its extent and its potential was not understood. 

This, she said, resulted in labour market inefficiencies and the subsequent drafting of ineffective policies.

“The services industry is growing in importance in global trade and commerce and plays a major role in the national economy to the extent that the projected figure for the non-energy services sector in 2015 was $52.7 billion which represents over 55 per cent of T&T’s GDP and contributes 65 per cent to national employment,” Roach said.

“Quality customer service is more important now than ever before due to its impact on economic growth not only because of the corporate spending demands, and its effect on recruitment and selection. 

“There are numerous individuals and firms that trade services both locally and internationally that are not captured in national datasets, which is in part due to the absence of an overall data management system and lack of policy that formalises the acquisition and analysis of data on services.”

Roach said there was particular concern about the export of services, an area in which there has been under performance. 

In addition to poor data, there was under utilisation of technology which can increase efficiency and ensure businesses are more accessible to and can interact more effectively with the customers.

Roach, who described this as an international problem, added: “Some of the ways Government is working to increase awareness and productivity of our services are by providing the overall legislative and policy structures: creating synergies to acquire and analyse data, while proving opportunities and incentives for training to improve customer service. 

She said the Trade Ministry was developing a National Services Policy and Plan to provide an overall structure and framework to measure, grow and improve domestic competitiveness. 

“In light of the current economic circumstances and the need to diversify, we need more than ever to manage our service industry to maximise the benefits from it and elevate it to become globally recognised,” she said.

“In this respect, an important consideration of the services policy is the creation of a data-management superstructure involving the combined efforts and resources of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and the Central Bank of T&T, the T&T Coalition of Services Industries (TTCSI), other relevant ministries and agencies, as well as representative private sector organisations and individual firms. 

“Data in services is a challenge for all economies, but it is necessary if we are to fully understand and measure the value of the services industry. T&T’s customer service reputation straddles both public and private institutions, with negative repercussions at the firm and national levels.”

Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe has taken issue with advertising campaigns in some Caribbean destinations which capitalise on the presence of the Zika virus in neighbouring territories to boost visitor arrival numbers.

In an interview with the T&T Guardian at the 43rd annual Caribbean Week New York hosted by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, Manhattan, the minister described the Zika-free ads as unproductive. She said tourism officials across the islands agreed to be competitive but not adversarial in their respective campaigns.

“Some countries jump up and say we are Zika-free. When you do that you name and shame some other countries that may have an issue. For instance Trinidad had some Zika cases, but Tobago hasn’t reported any. What can we learn from it? The Bahamas hasn’t reported any as yet. What can we learn from the Bahamas? It’s not about saying the Bahamas is better because they haven’t had a Zika case. 

“Even as we all offer sand, sea and sun there is something that is unique about each Caribbean destination. It is about finding what you are good at. So let’s not focus too much on trying to pull bread off each other’s table, but look at what we are good at and develop it. 

“At the end of the day it’s one Caribbean. We come here, we share ideas, and we interact. It’s not about growing as an island destination, but growing together. We can compete, but we can compete in a way that is mutually beneficial,” she said.

Cudjoe said regional leaders at the CTO event focused on the Zika threat, its impact on the region and the future of the industry. She said priority was given to educating the public on steps to prevent the spread of the virus. 

It was Cudjoe’s second CTO meeting since being named Tourism Minister and following numerous video conferences with her colleagues, she said the CTO environment helped her to grow faster in developing policies for T&T.

“For T&T, I think CTO is critical. We play a leading role in Caricom and as tourism continues to move to the for, as it relates to economic diversification and expansion of economic opportunities for T&T, this kind of forum provides opportunities for us to showcase what is happening in T&T. 

“The US is the largest market for Trinidad in particular. Over 50 per cent of our arrivals come from the US market. That is where the majority of the diaspora is, so they feed into our culture or products and the different things that we have to offer. 

“This is quite an enlightening and important opportunity and platform for us as tourism stakeholders and I look forward to all that comes out of these initiatives and these meetings,” she said. 

Cudjoe said while there are economic downturns in different parts of the world, the travel and tourism industry continues to grow. 

“Inter-Caribbean travel last year and the year before had been very, very positive and people continue to have that insatiable appetite for travel. I think that once the products are up to standard, once the right marketing is done, people are going to continue to travel. 

“The statistics have shown that people continue to travel and enjoy tourism. I see it as a great industry not just for T&T or the region, but for the entire world. 

“Last year, the World Travel and Tourism Council would have forecasted that tourism travel would be four per cent. 

“In this region we have gone up to six per cent. The numbers continue to look good for the Caribbean region,” the minister said.

Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) chairman Richard Sealy wants his membership to embrace multi-destinational travel when offering vacation packages to potential visitors as a way of keeping the region competitive.

He said although the state of the industry was positive and the Caribbean got off to a fast start in 2016 with a 7.3 per cent increase in the first quarter over 2015, tourism officials should not get comfortable with current strategies deployed and the subsequent conversion of such plans into meaningful business. He is using them to seek new partnerships while staying true to product innovation.

Tourist arrivals to the region this year are projected to surpass the 30 million mark for the first time ever. This follows a record 28.7 million arrivals in 2015.

Sealy, who attended the recent 43rd Annual Caribbean Week New York, referred to memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominica Republic for multi-destinational packages and called for similar arrangements to be explored by other Caribbean nations 

“We all know that some visitors, especially the more adventurous ones, will not be content to simply visit an island. They may want to visit a couple islands. We have to be prepared to facilitate that. The Aviation Task Force of the CTO is doing some very good work and reaching out to the airlines in the region—CAL, Insel Air, Liat. We are looking at how best we can facilitate more regional movement, as well, so that we can have these various multi-destinational offerings. 

“And Cuba is very much part of that mix. Cayman Airways is already going into Cuba and bringing people out in some very significant numbers. We think that we are in a good place with respect to Cuba’s reintegration in the Americas. They have always been backed by Europe and Canada and we are happy to see the attention that Cuba gets,” he said.

Sealy emphasised that “attention for Cuba was attention for the Caribbean” and rather than being threatened by what had been happening with regards to the opening up of Cuba, it was seen as a very positive development for the Caribbean and the CTO. 

He said: “Cuba is a member of the CTO. The level of activity has varied over the years, but Cuba is a part of CTO and of course has been for many years—a major player in Caribbean tourism. Cuba gets more tourists than anyone else here and that has been the case for several years. We are talking about over three-and-a-half million tourists. Of course that is going to increase over the coming years, but it is not anything new for us at the CTO.”

He expressed satisfaction at the news that the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) headed by Karolin G Troubetzkoy is engaging tourism officials in Cuba.