Opening of Hyatt Regency Trinidad Renews Focus on Tourism

Highlighting a renewed focus on tourism as a major player in the economy of Trinidad and Tobago is the official opening Jan. 15 of the 428-room Hyatt Regency Trinidad in Port of Spain.

Jason Baptiste, marketing manager for Trinidad and Tobago, described the new property as “the lynchpin in the waterfront project in Port of Spain, being developed in phases.”

The government hopes to position tourism as a key contributor to its Gross Domestic Product, comprising at least 15 percent of the country’s GDP within a few years.

Trinidad and Tobago plan to expand their hotel inventories by 17 percent over the next 18 months, according to Baptiste. This will include the June opening of the 120-room Carlton Savannah Hotel and a second, unnamed 109-room property later this year, both near the airport in Port of Spain, as well as several properties in Tobago.

New airlift to both islands “has increased our visibility and we need more rooms,” Baptiste said. Delta launched weekly service between Atlanta and Tobago on Dec. 15 and increased its nonstop service Dec. 20 between New York (Kennedy) and Port of Spain to five flights a week.