Tobago’s Footprints Eco Resort has plans to expand their room capacity, add environmentally friendly salt-water pools and an interpretive centre to educate visitors to the facility about Trinidad and Tobago’s ecotourism product. These plans were revealed by Mia Persad-Douglas, owner of the Resort, at the Seventh Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development in Tobago.During her presentation, she also disclosed that the facility hopes to forge closer partnerships with relevant agencies to supplement alternative energy sources and tourism education.

Expanding on the challenges faced in building and operating such a facility, Mrs. Persad-Douglas described ecotourism and the ecotourism market as virtual ‘unknowns’, until recently.Ê In addition, untested management strategies and inexperienced staff pose disadvantages to the ecotourism product.

To cope with such challenges, she asserted that management commitment and marketing are essential and the reputation of any given ecotourism resort can enhance its marketability and competitiveness within the global marketplace.

Mia Persad-Douglas is a full-time lecturer at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute, Tobago Campus.Ê She is also executive director of Ocean Experience, Tobago’s first dedicated dive and equipment retailer.ÊÊÊ
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