Major upgrades in store for Mayaro

Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Stephen Cadiz alongside Member of Parliament for the area, the Honourable Winston Peters went on an indepth fact gaining tour of tourism attractions in the Ortoire/Mayaro area on Tuesday.

The two MPs have collaborated as a part of the Ministry of Tourism’s thrust to better tourism facilities and improve our tourism product to domestic and foreign travellers.

The Ministers, accompanied by officials of the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation and representatives from CEPEP and URP management, toured a myriad of sites in the tourism rich area. These places of interest included the Mitan River, Ortoire Bay, Ben Deloraine Nature Reserve, Harry’s Resort, Pilot River and the Sea Wall and Mud Volcano in Guayaguayare among others.

This tour comes on the heels of a Business Monitor International article that projected international arrivals to Trinidad and Tobago increasing by 13.95% in the next five years from 480,000 in 2012 to an estimated 547,000 in 2017.

This influx of travellers indicates not only positive outcomes for Minister Cadiz’ initiatives since assuming office in 2012, but also means increased economic diversification on the horizon.

The article also rated Trinidad and Tobago as the second place overall in tourism in the region based on risk versus reward factors, behind only the Dominican Republic, with T&T topping the regional list in country structure.

The Ministry of Tourism has been committed in their mandate to make Trinidad and Tobago a premier tourist destination in the region and the nation is on track to achieving just that evidenced by the improvements being made to infrastructure as well as projected gains in cruise and air arrivals.

With upgrades in signage, beautification, refurbishment and expansion of tourism facilities not only in Mayaro but throughout Trinidad and Tobago scheduled to begin soon, as well as finalisation of the country’s national branding campaign on stream, Trinidad and Tobago is poised to be an international tourism powerhouse.

The Ministry of Tourism, MP’s office of Mayaro/ Rio Claro and local government have a renewed interest in the upgrading of tourist attractions in Mayaro because they recognize how much the area has to offer in terms of tourism.
Besides its idyllic facade, the area has been touted by visitors as a hidden gem in the Caribbean that offers a host of activities to eco-tourism seekers. These activities include bird watching; kayaking; camping and hiking and of course the breathtaking beaches.

Another major advantage of the Mayaro area is its potential for sustainable tourism. With wholesale community involvement there is the possibility for sustainable employment and prosperity for the people of Mayaro/Ortoire/Rio Claro in the tourism sector.