Kinnesha George
British Airways (BA) made its return to Tobago on Monday, its first flight here since March 2020 when the country’s borders were shut down to prevent the spread of covid19.
A total of 94 passengers disembarked flight BA 2157, which departed London Gatwick at 9.15 am and arrived at the ANR Robinson Airport at 4.30pm, five minutes earlier than their scheduled time.
Speaking with members of the media at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Crown Point, Secretary of Tourism Tashia Burris said the return of the flight was a good sign.
She said: “I exhaled. It was a sigh of relief because I know that there were a number of of persons who… they lost a lot during this time. So, for BA to retain confidence in Tobago as a destination, it made me feel heartened that this is a signal of things to come.”
Burris said the division’s aim is to welcome over 100,000 visitors annually.
“Today is a start. Some people may think that the road to 100,000 is an impossible task and some people say that it’s an impossible dream, but the reality is that this administration is known for dreaming big…”
She said the division is signalling to all persons involved that they intend to put in the work to achieve those big goals.
“Mind you, I did not put a timeframe to it. I indicated that I want to get us back to the days of 100,000 per year. I didn’t say we’ll get it this year but certainly I know that with the stakeholders that we have on board….”
She said one of the first things is engaging the stakeholders in a way to ensure…