TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
TOURISM CORNER Meet Your Convention Bureau Meetings and exhibitions by day; a pan yard lime one evening; an excursion to the Caroni Bird Sanctuary the next; and a trip to Maracas for bake and fish before the conference ends. Sounds good, right? The Trinidad and Tobago Convention Bureau (TTCB) is a department within the TDC whose mandate is to increase business tourism arrivals to the country. The unit was established in 2009 with the goal of positioning Port-of-Spain as the Meetings and Conferences capital of the Southern Caribbean. The TTCB also offers a number of complimentary services for meeting planners. As part of a strategic plan to boost this niche, the TTCB hosted its first US Meeting Planners Study Tour in May 2016. This group was specifically targeted as 40% of all business travel to T&T originates from the US, thus earning the destination valuable foreign exchange. In fact, the World Tourism and Travel Council has predicted that expenditure by tourists travelling for the purpose of business is set to grow by 31.8% (US$1.4 trillion) by 2020. This is very promising as satisfied business travellers tend to return to a destination on vacation. On average, the TTCB facilitates 35 conferences annually and has successfully won many conference bids for Trinidad and Tobago. Recently, the TTCB supported the Trinidad and Tobago Society of Radiographers in its successful bid to host the 2018 International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technicians World Congress. In order to spread the word about the economic benefit of the MICE market, the TTCB will be hosting its third Meet Your Convention Bureau Business Forum on Friday 19th August, 2016. The Forum’s target audience comprises persons and organisations interested in bringing international conferences to the country. Ms. Connie Kinnard – Vice President of Multicultural Tourism & Development at the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau will deliver the keynote address. For further information, please contact Ms. Arveon Mills – Sales Manager, Convention Bureau at 675-7034 ext. 215 or amills@tdc.co.tt. Tourism Development Company Limited Level 1, Maritime Centre # 29 Tenth Avenue, Barataria Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Tel: (868) 675 7034-7 • Fax: (868) 675-8851 Email : info@tdc.co.tt • Website: www.tdc.co.tt Facebook: Tourism Development Company Limited Islands of Trinidad and Tobago
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