The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) announced that the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Development Company Ltd. (TDC) has joined the alliance as a destination member. The Chairman of ICTP, Juergen T. Steinmetz, said: “ICTP appreciates this new alliance with the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Development Company, the implementation arm of the Ministry of Tourism, which is dedicated to realizing the vision for tourism in Trinidad and Tobago. The idea is to emphasize the uniqueness of the two islands, and to provide an internationally-competitive tourism product, supported by the people of Trinidad and Tobago. We feel membership in ICTP will aid in attaining this vision.”

Carla Cupid-Greene, Market Analyst and Economist in the Planning and Research Department of the Tourism Development Company Ltd., said: “Just like the ICTP, the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Development Company Ltd. understands the importance of creating products and services which represent ‘value for money’ and are in keeping with green principles.

“To demonstrate this commitment to quality tourism, the TDC has consolidated all its quality programs into its own cluster. The Tourism Quality Cluster acts as an integrated approach to the management of quality in the tourism sector. It is our trademark of quality performance, which encompasses the implementation of various standards for our tourism stakeholders and their organizations. It embodies four major components: training; service; certification; health, safety and the environment.

“It is with this focus, that the ICTP membership was deemed critical as it affords us the opportunity to work with like-minded individuals and organizations to improve on our practices while sharing our own learning experiences.”