Tourism Trinidad Limited and CARPHA Collaborate to Prevent Infectious Disease Spread in the Hospitality Sector
February 25th, 2025
Tourism Trinidad Limited (TTL), in collaboration with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), facilitated a virtual training session on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases during the Carnival 2025 Mass Gathering. This session which hosted approximately 150 attendees, took place on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, and aimed to enhance industry-wide preparedness and response mechanisms to ensure the health and safety of both visitors and tourism stakeholders.
The training session prepared tourism entities for travel-related public health threats such as diseases associated with mass gatherings, food and waterborne diseases, respiratory diseases, vector-borne diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, and sexually transmitted infections.
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) began these training sessions in 2020 with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. While COVID-19 is no longer seen as a threat, TTL and CARPHA understand that tourism facilities in Trinidad must be prepared for the new and emerging threats.
This training was catered to the hospitality sector, more specifically:
• Hotel Managers
• Hotel Receptionists
• Food and Beverage Managers
• Operations Managers
• Front of House Managers
• Housekeepers
• Chefs
• Small Accommodation Providers
• Restaurant Owners
• Transportation Providers (including Boat Operators)
• Tour Guides
• Tour Operators
• Servers and Bartenders
• Mas Band Owners
• Fete Promoters
Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival, known as the “Greatest Show on Earth,” expects a high number of tourists coming in to experience the rich and authentic celebrations. During mass gathering events, there is a strong likelihood that an infectious disease outbreak can escalate to pandemic proportions in a short space of time. CARPHA, through the THP, will enable tourism stakeholders in Trinidad to better manage and respond to any public health threat.
Accommodation services like hotels and guesthouses will play an important, ongoing role in preventing the spread of all infectious diseases. Tourism entities attending the training will benefit from being recognised as a healthier, safer tourism entity. This training is one of the requirements to achieving CARPHA’s Healthier, Safer Tourism Award. Facilities must have at least 10% of their staff trained in the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and must be actively reporting on the Tourism and Health Information System (THiS), a web-based real-time monitoring surveillance system. Facilities can register for THiS at this.carpha.org and use the system to report any cases of illnesses.
This training session was delivered by CARPHA’s Tourism and Health Program team, including Mr Keston Daniel, Visitor-Based Surveillance Coordinator; Dr Sastee Kissoondan, Technical Officer, Office of Director, Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control; with support from Ms Frieda Mohammed, Training and Standards Officer.
Interim CEO of Tourism Trinidad Limited, Mr Cornell Buckradee, emphasised the importance of such training sessions, stating, “As we prepare to welcome thousands of visitors for Carnival 2025, ensuring the health and safety of both our guests and tourism stakeholders remains a top priority for Tourism Trinidad. This collaboration with CARPHA underscores our commitment to maintaining Trinidad as a premier and safe travel destination. By equipping our tourism industry professionals with the knowledge and tools to prevent and control infectious diseases, we are strengthening our resilience and safeguarding the future of our tourism sector.”
Tourism Trinidad Limited thanks Dr Indar, Executive Director, and the CARPHA team for recognising the public health threats in the region and taking proactive measures to prevent and control them.
