With TT’s borders set to reopen on July 17, former president of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association Nicholas Hardwicke is hoping the government’s upcoming budget will stimulate economic activity on the island “so that businesses can rebound and flourish.”

He said although many businesses are closed for the time being, entrepreneurs will be looking for opportunities to “get back in the game.

“I would hope the Government would look seriously at bringing legislation that will create a much more dynamic and flourishing business environment,” he told Newsday.

“Business people need cash flow. They need to sense opportunity to get their investment drives going, to keep their finances and financiers healthy and to allow them to reinvest in their business going forward.”

Many Tobago businesses, including hotels, bars and restaurants, have been virtually devastated, owing to the public health restrictions implemented by government over the past 17 months to contain the spread of covid19,

Hardwicke, owner of the Black Rock-based Seahorse Inn restaurant, applauded the government’s decision to offer hoteliers and guesthouse operators a $50 million package to upgrade their premises at the onset of the pandemic last year.

But, he said, unlike other tourism-based islands in the region, TT has not invested heavily in other supporting initiatives to buffer the sector.

Hardwicke cited maintaining airlift and international marketing as examples of areas where the government fell short.

“We have to be active in our external source markets. We have to ensure that as the borders reopen, the airlines that traditionally came in here re-engage with us in hopefully favourable terms.”

Hardwicke said they must also ensure there is sufficient business from that process to generate a cash flow so that businesspeople can move from just surviving to developing a thriving environment where they can start to reinvest, create opportunities and expand the economic base in the country.

He said this would be in tandem with the government’s plans for economic diversification.

“So, we need to see the enabling legislation and the type of investment that facilitates that.”

Referring to the $50 million relief grant that has already been given to hoteliers as well as the billion-dollar ANR Robinson airport expansion project, Hardwicke asked: “Where is the other vital investment that is required to sustain that and make it worthwhile?”

Singling out the relief grant, he argued if businessmen do not have cash flow over the short to medium term, “then I can tell you the $50 million that has already been spent will be money wasted because it won’t be maintained and sustained.”

On the airport project, Hardwicke added: “An airport that is finished in two years’ time that is capable of hosting one million-plus visitors a year will be an enormous empty space if the current international arrival level is between 20 and 25,000 people a year. That does not make sense.”

He said after months of hardship and uncertainty, businessmen need