All hope is not lost for Tobago tourism.

Tourism Minister Joseph Ross admitted yesterday the upsurge in crime in this country was having negative repercussions for Trinidad and Tobago’s image as a safe tourist destination.

But he was encouraged by the fact that United Kingdom visitors currently in Tobago are saying they would return, notwithstanding the brutal attack on British couple, Peter and Murium Greene.

He also expressed Government’s ’faith that our law enforcement agencies will use the full force of the law to apprehend the perpetrators.’

Ross, speaking at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s said Government was doing everything in its power to address the crime situation. He said the National Security Minister planned to establish a police unit in Tobago to deal specifically with tourism. Sources said the unit would be in place by October, along with a Police Marine Branch. Ross said there was a need for tourism policing.

He said the Government had noted with concern the travel advisory updates from the United Kingdom and Australia following last Saturday attack on the Greenes.

’We expect that it would have an impact. What we are trying to do now is ensure that we have adequate security systems and to give the visitors the assurances that the possibility of people committing these crimes and getting away would be reduced significantly and in fact eliminated,’ he said.

Ross said the Ministry of Tourism was liasing with the National Security Ministry, High Commissions and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to ensure that the concerns of potential travellers were being addressed.

’Confidence in tourism industry will take several years to build and can be lost in a matter of a day,’ he said. He said in 2005 the Tourism Intelligence Agency did a report on the United Kingdom travel market which indicated that the perceived danger of crime and terrorism was the second most important consideration of persons when deciding on a tourism destination.

Ross noted that Britain was one of the largest tourists generating markets and the United Kingdom outbound market ranked fourth in the world in terms of tourism spending. The United Kingdom cruise market was the second largest in the world (after the US) and was one that Trinidad and Tobago intended to maintain and increase, he said.

Reiterating Government’s condemnation of the ’horrendous crime’, he said members of the THA, Ministry of Health representatives and himself have visited the Greenes at the hospital. Ross said he prayed with Murium Greene on Sunday. He said Government was making arrangements for the relatives of the Greenes to be brought to Trinidad and Tobago and was also arrangement counselling services for them while they are here.

Meanwhile, he said, his Ministry would continue market this country in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe. The Tourism Development Authority and the THA would have to revise some of their marketing approaches, he said.

Asked to respond to the view that the crimes may be motivated by the resentment against tourists buying up lands in Tobago, Ross said: ’I cannot respond to that school of thought. I have no idea as to the motive behind it (the attack on the Greenes). No idea at all,’ he said.