DDI charter tour operators feel neglected

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“Down D Islands” charter tour operators feel neglected by the Government as their industry is heavily impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions.

This is according to the founder of “Down D Islands TT” charter tours Stephan McConnie. “Two things we’d like to come out from this. One, the possibility of having down the islands and us as charter boats be recognised by the government and by extension the Ministry of Tourism.

“Two, the consideration of us as small businesses to operate even within the regulations, within the lockdowns- give us some ability or some discussions on how we can operate safely and let us show you that we are taking the steps to do so,” he said during interview yesterday with Guardian Media aboard their main vessel, the Ocean Spirit. McConnie explained that the current beach closure reimplemented last week has dwindled business and he expects to lose some $40,000 in revenue.

He said this comes not only during their peak period but also as operators were now beginning to recover from last year’s restrictions. “At no point in time has the Government and by extension, the Ministry of Tourism really taken into consideration how much we do for tourism– not just international but also domestic,” he said. “With the closure of beaches now and also the inability to actually get into the water, we really have no real reason for customers to come out again.” He fears to think about what would happen to the industry if the current period of restrictions is extended beyond May 9. The operators, who service “Down D Islands,” offer more than just a beach trip.

McConnie said they can offer tours of the five islands but noted that there is some ambiguity within the Public Health Regulations which is scaring customers away.

Regulation 4(1)(c) only prohibits party boats from operating while Regulation 4(2) outlines guidelines for tours of the Buccoo Reef, Speyside or the Caroni Bird Sanctuary. “People are still enquiring, however, again people are sceptical to do so because of the wording of the guidelines set forth by the government,” he said.

He called on the Government to clarify how the restrictions apply to their industry and noted that they would like the same facilitation as their counterparts in Tobago. He said charter boat owners have participated in training sessions with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT).

These sessions, he said, were geared toward educating the operators on how they can ensure COVID-19 protocols are adhered to while they operate. “One of the great things about charters and heading down the islands is it’s a very controlled environment. We have taken all the necessary steps—COVID regulations, sanitisation, temperature checks, follow-ups, contact tracing forms. We do everything that we’re supposed to do on our part because we’re not only looking out for the clients but myself and the crew- we have families to go home to as well,” he said.

It’s also why he said some facilitation could be considered to allow customers to bathe.