DR RAMCHAND RAMPERSAD
MY QUEST for travel and adventure was curbed over the past three years due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Like many, I too became frustrated, if not claustrophobic, being locked down in this socially dispirited island of Trinidad. Despite mixed feelings towards international travel, I took the plunge and carried my family for a short trip through Panama to the Bahamas.
As I experienced life briefly abroad, I could not help continuously comparing the standard of living in those countries to that of my own sweet TT. Having returned, I am now so relaxed that I can reflect and write this article.
Prior to the trip, the search for reasonably priced airline tickets was discouraging, to the point that I was considering reverting to a weekend in Tobago. However, getting a flight to Tobago was impossible for the rest of the vacation season and getting boat tickets across the sea-bridge was equally challenging. My destination was flexible and as a patriot I always prefer to travel with Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL). This time around I just could not. For every possible destination - Caribbean islands, US, Canada, Europe and wherever CAL flies - it was handsomely more expensive than its competitors.
As a simple comparison, even though CAL provided direct flights to most destinations, Copa Airlines provided the better offer in terms of price and value, in every case. On reflection, I wonder how CAL consistently reports an operating loss given its comparatively high fares? How can we position TT as a tourist destination when the fare from our national airline prohibits international travel?
The layover in Panama offered an insight to their current economic activities. Interestingly, Copa Airlines now has its very own terminal building in Panama. It would appear that there is a strong integration between the airline and the country; Copa is Panama and Panama is Copa.
The pre-flight instructions somehow always evade my attention but this time it was different. In a very innovative manner, this was achieved through a video where flight attendants were filmed at various Panama tourist destinations, delivering the instructions in a captivating manner as they advertised the country. Copa even offers a free stopover in Panama for up to seven days to all its travellers.
Notably, Copa is a privately-owned airline while CAL is state-owned, giving the Government full autonomy over its operations. On reflection, I am wondering how has our government capitalised on its control of CAL and how has it partnered with the private sector to promote tourism? What innovative steps are pursued to make TT an attractive tourist destination?
On arrival at Nassau, visitors were greeted at the airport to live singing from two local guitarists, with melody and lyrics akin to our kaiso, mesmerising us into a vacation mood. As we explored the island, the pothole-free roads were impressive, no overgrown bushes, no litter on the pavements or beaches, no obstructive street vendors, or vagrants.
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