Skip to playerSkip to main content
CCNTV6
  • 2 days ago
The Caribbean.. could face a tourism fallout.. from United States actions against Venezuela; not just Trinidad and Tobago.

So says, economist Indera Sagewan, who feels the impact of the role of this country in the entire situation,, is being trumped up,, to appear more than it is.
Alicia Boucher tells us more.
Transcript
00:00The Christmas season is almost out and Carnival, which earns the country a good bit of foreign exchange, is fast approaching.
00:07But with the United States taking action against neighboring Venezuela,
00:11will there be a bigger impact than the fallout that has already been stated by Tobago's tourism sector?
00:17TV6 News posed the question to economist Indira Sajuan.
00:20You know, I don't think we even need to go as far as Cannes, or we could even look at this whole Christmas season.
00:25And I think one of the things that seriously and negatively impacted spending in the country is this cloud that hangs over us.
00:36However, Sajuan saw to clarify what she believes is driving that uncertainty.
00:41I do not believe that this cloud is hanging over us because the Prime Minister of Trinidad Tobago
00:46has chosen to support the U.S. when it comes to dealing with the scourge of drugs and all of that in the region.
00:55And similarly, she says whether there was a radar in Tobago or not, the outcome would be the same.
01:01The government of the United States would have been engaging in what they are engaging in.
01:06We are not so all-powerful that we can impact or influence the decision of the U.S. government in terms of what they are deciding.
01:15What they are deciding is their policy, and we simply happen to be where we are, and we are affected by it.
01:22Asked if TNT did not align itself so closely to the U.S., where its troops are in the country,
01:29and Venezuela threatening based on actions taken by the country,
01:32Sajuan expresses a view that the response of Venezuela is in part to do with what she calls
01:37the aggression by the media in presenting the cases of Venezuela and CARICOM.
01:42And the opposition was less aggressive in using this as a means of destabilizing the support on the government,
01:51and I feel very strongly about it.
01:53I feel that Venezuela would, that the entire situation would have been less impacting on us.
02:04The Economist states that TNT's proximity alone to Venezuela is enough to hinder tourism.
02:09I will not be surprised if there is a fallout to Carnival from what is happening,
02:17from the sense of unease that pervades the region.
02:22And despite other countries voicing what she calls their anti-American concerns,
02:27Sajuan isn't of the view that it will make a difference from the perspective of tourism.
02:31I believe that the entire region is going to take a hit until this issue with respect to Venezuela is resolved,
02:41not just trying to add on to people.
02:44Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
Be the first to comment
Add your comment