Thursday, August 13 2009

THE GOVERNMENT of Trinidad and Tobago has attempted to allay tourists’ fears about the safety of the islands, following a brutal attack on a British couple last week.

Peter Greene, 65, and his wife Murium, 59, were reportedly hacked with a machete in their holiday home in Tobago on August 1, less than a year after a Swedish couple were killed on the island under similar circumstances. The country’s Division of Tourism and Transportation said Tobago had experienced a decline in crimes against visitors and there had been a significant improvement in the detection rate in recent months.

Over the last year, a number of initiatives have helped stabilise the crime rate, the government said. These included joint patrols with the police and defence force, increased surveillance at tourism hotspots, and the upgrade of the advanced passenger manifest on the inter-island ferries.

An ABTA spokesman said, as with all destinations, travel agents should advise clients going to Trinidad and Tobago to make sure they are up to date with the Foreign Office’s latest travel advisory. They should also take advantage of advice offered by tour reps.