Head of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association, Reginald MacLean, is not expecting much from today’s Tobago House of Assembly (THA) budget presentation, saying tourism on the island is “extremely dead” and has been stagnant for more than 30 years.
MacLean told the Express that Tobago’s tourism sector urgently needs revitalisation, including the reopening of major hotels and the approval of a long-requested loan guarantee.
UNDER STRAIN:
Curtis Williams
“We have to get back the major hotels in Tobago into operation, and that loan guarantee that we asked the Secretary of Finance, the Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, and the Secretary of Tourism Zorisha Hackett for needs to be done. We need to get Tobago back in order,” he said. “If we can’t get the rooms back in order on the island, we are not going to move forward. Tourism is extremely dead in Tobago, and if it was not for Trinidad tourists, it would have been even worse.”
He said Tobago recorded more than 90,000 international visitors in 2005, compared with just over 11,000 today, describing the decline as evidence of long-term stagnation.
“Every time you go to book a flight, they are already full. The interconnectivity of the airlines also needs to be dealt with, otherwise we will remain stagnant as we have been for the last 25 to 40 years,” he said. He also called for the reinstatement of 24 daily round trips between Trinidad and Tobago, as existed before the Covid-19 pandemic.
MacLean further urged reform of land administration processes, saying delays in approvals continue to hamper investment.
Chairman of the Tobago arm of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Curtis Williams, said the island’s construction sector could help stimulate economic activity in the short term while tourism recovery takes hold.
“One of the main things to stimulate the Tobago economy is construction. The economy has been sluggish for some time, so we have asked the Secretary of Finance, during our consultation, for an injection to get a development programme going,” Williams said. “It is important that we stimulate the construction sector at this time. Things are pretty slow on the island.”
He said several businesses are struggling to pay staff due to weak economic activity, including at least one major resort.
West Mount Irvine Bay Resort has reportedly been unable to pay staff for the past four months. Management has confirmed the arrears but declined to comment further.
Williams said the situation reflects broader financial strain across the business community.
“It is not only that resort. Some businesses are moving money around just to keep their establishments afloat,” he said.
According to the Office of the Chief Secretary, Budget 2027 will be anchored by the “Pathway for Prosperity: Blueprint for Tobago 2026–2030.” The Finance Secretary said the focus will be on completing ongoing projects and delivering measurable outcomes.
Budget preparations began in February with the issuance of a circular to THA divisions. Consultations ran from April 20 to June 2, 2026, involving eight stakeholder groups, with the final session held with faith-based organisations. The process also included 110 online submissions.
Four new divisions will be incorporated into the budget framework: Legal Affairs; Strategic Planning and Development; Youth Empowerment and Sport; and Environment, Climate Resilience and Energy.
The 2027 policy priorities include sustainable tourism, food security, digital transformation, public-sector strengthening, climate resilience, infrastructure development, and social inclusion for vulnerable groups.
The THA’s parliamentary allocation for fiscal 2026 stands at $2.742 billion, with a development programme allocation of $201.5 million. CEPEP is allocated $9.2 million and URP $18 million.
To address underfunding in the development programme, the THA transferred $164.473 million from recurrent expenditure. Available funding now stands at $2.577 billion for recurrent spending and $365.973 million for development projects.
The THA said it has received about 70% of its central government allocation and 67% of its development allocation up to the third quarter of 2026.
About $186.5 million has been released to divisions under the development programme, while recurrent expenditure as of May 2026 stood at approximately $1.51 billion. Development spending is estimated at $130 million, with final figures still being compiled.
Unspent balances of about $101 million were used to fund contractor payments dating back to 2021, as well as CEPEP, URP, and the Island-Wide Road Improvement Programme.
Despite fiscal pressures, the Finance Secretary said there are no plans for layoffs, salary cuts, or reductions in contract employment.
