We have just returned from another brilliant holiday in Tobago.

Brilliant because most of the island is unspoiled by modern mass tourism, concrete development, traffic and unnecessary tourist facilities. Brilliant because the people of Tobago are friendly to us. There is no "aggro" and very little hustling, just people getting on with their everyday lives. Brilliant because it is a wildlife paradise and there are dozens of gorgeous beaches such as Englishman's Bay and Pirates Bay, with no development to spoil them.

We feel so, so very privileged to visit and enjoy all this. This is what most holidaymakers want now, not ghastly compound-type air-conditioned monstrosities.

It was truly shocking to learn of the proposed hotel development in Charlotteville which would sweep away the beachfront shops and cafes. What a dreadful mistake that would be. Charlotteville is a lovely town with a great future for small scale tourism, building on what is already successful locally, guest houses and apartments, roadside businesses, boat and rainforest tours and fishing.

The THA should support these existing businesses to make a good thing even better. Why lurch down the road of unsustainable tourism under the illusion that this sort of development is progress — it is not.

This is a copy of my post on the Charlotteville Beachfront Movement Facebook page.

Alison Gallagher

Wales