Destination Tobago brought a little island vibe to Canada recently. Top travel agents from Toronto and Montreal along with select travel media, and local celebrities were invited to experience the island in style. They got the chance to learn about Tobago’s unique features and off the beaten path charm.
Agents, journalists, videographers and bloggers gathered at the exclusive rooftop patio of the Spoke Club in Toronto to enjoy an evening full of surprises. Renowned Tobagonian pan player, Tony ‘Pan Jumbie’ Williams kept guests moving with his extraordinary skills performing everything from current soca hits to modern pop.
Jesille Peters the Promotional Analyst for Tobago in Canada states, “Tobago and her people are beautiful, warm and excited about the uniquely cultural and vibrant experiences we can offer to our visitors. We might be tiny, but we offer world class diving, eco-adventure, and an ideal backdrop for destination weddings and honeymoons.”
Throughout the events, honoured attendees were treated to rum punches and Caribbean inspired canapés. Palettes were refined in a special rum tasting presented by El Dorado, the rum of the Caribbean. Guests sampled the diverse flavours and unique characteristics of the award-winning cask aged rums. The luxurious Tobago chocolate popular with aficionados all over Europe was also a big a hit with the crowd.
Buzz of Tobago’s charming villages and beaches were confirmed by former Major League Soccer (MLS) star Dwayne De Rosario who was in attendance. Already a friend of Tobago, his ‘DeRo’ Foundation runs an interactive youth soccer camp in Tobago each December to inspire and motivate children through teaching soccer skills, leadership, teamwork, education, health and nutrition.
In Montreal, guests gathered at L’Auberge in Old Montreal. The warm evening sun streamed in to the private room inspiring many to dance and a few to attempt the pan under Tony’s laid-back tutelage. Guests were enchanted by the traditional Bellair costume custom made for the event. Some even joined in with the dancer to learn a few steps of the traditional dances still on show at the annual Tobago Heritage Festival.
Andrea Lown, the event planner commented, “We were excited to collaborate with Tobago to produce these Infotini style of events. It is a unique destination and we knew it deserved something more vibrant and interactive than a typical trade show booth. We handpicked guests from our rolodex to bring together leading agents and travel press who are already fans of the Caribbean and looking for the next great destination.”
Members of the Tobago Association of Canada were invited to the celebrations to share their own stories and experiences of Tobago with Canadian media. Identified at the event by a signature red floral lapel pin, each Tobagonian island ambassador passed along stories and anecdotes of life on the island. All attendees were presented with lapel flowers in their custom designed gift bag that included other fun gifts, accommodation and activities information and facts on the destination. Their new found knowledge of Tobago is sure to help bring greater awareness of the destination in the Canadian marketplace.
Destination Tobago
Tobago lies south of the hurricane belt, at Latitude 11°N and Longitude 60°W, just off the coast of South America. Tobago rests 21 miles(33km) northeast of Trinidad – the most southerly island of the Caribbean. The island is surrounded by the tranquil Caribbean Sea on its North Coast with the less calm Atlantic Ocean on its southern and western sides. It 116 sq. miles(300 sq. kms) with a population of 54,084.
www.visittobago.gov.tt
RollingStop – Event production division of Digital Coconut Inc.
Digital Coconut specializes in visual content marketing for the travel and tourism industry. The Digital Coconut team are expert storytellers capturing irresistible moments in time to truly inspire a travellers next adventure. Through pictures, video, websites, custom publications, events and other colourful editorial, Digital Coconut helps their clients to create compelling web, print and experiential content to drive qualified visitors to their clients’ websites and booking engines.
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