we talking tourism again

Once more Tobago is making a tourism push. God bless us all and hope that it works. The direction this time is community tourism, which is not that removed from the old thrust ecotourism. But community tourism, ecotourism, whatever its called is still dependent on the local vibe, assuming zero crime, no crooked service providers and no people who'd murder wildlife in the name of 'ah we' cuisine. 

That said, community tourism is a harder sell for Tobago given that nature here is richer while the island's hospitality ethic is impoverished - especially at street level . Naturally, the Tobago House of Assembly, from whom all good things tourism comes may have little choice but to aggregate Nature with the people and hope, to use an economic term, sustainable income can be achieved. 

But it doesn't necessarily follow does it? Because, Tobago is prepared to spend huge sums yet to be quantified, which the country cannot afford, in order to develop a sector that was once poised once, twice even, to deliver, and which was shot in the foot  - to metaphorise the 2007 Land License Act fiasco. The real question then is; Can the Community Tourism drive bring profitability back because the local population agrees to step up to a smile?

Probably not, and this has nothing to do with people here. Economics, or the financial system is actually the culprit. As Tobago ramps up its marketing; we've seen the Tobago Tourism Agency flying abroad to catch would-be birders. But we note at the same time how little is actually being done to prepare the natural side of this island from money supposedly earmarked for improving the tourism product. Granted, trees and coral cannot spend money as efficiently as the THA workforce but it would be nice this rounds if some funds can be set aside for preserving the ecosystem. 

After all how can community tourism exist much less thrive, if we bulldoze the bushes where the birds browse?