With its diverse population and two islands with very distinct characters, Trinidad & Tobago offers far more to the tourist than just a beach dest ination. Perhaps the biggest challenge for the country is getting that message across to the wider world and persuading them that a Caribbean holiday can involve more than just lying around on palm-fringed sands.

"This island and this region have a very colourful history," says Stanley Beard, Chairman of the Tourism Development Company. "What the tourism practitioners have been doing all these years, however, was chasing after sun, sand and sea. We're stuck on the beachfront story. We now need to develop new products in terms of music, arts, culinary stories and accommodation."

The industry already contributes some £1.4 billion a year to the economy and directly or indirectly provides close to 90,000 jobs. Over the last five years Trinidad & Tobago has received an average of 442,000 visitors a year, with Western Europe the biggest source market.

Those are big numbers, but it still represents just 2% of all the people coming to the Caribbean on holiday. To reach its full potential will require plenty of innovation, but the country is fortunate in having many options, ranging from sports tourism to ecotourism and carnival and other festivals.

"We are promoting Trinidad as a diverse destination where you can come and do anything," says Michelle Palmer-Keizer, President of the Trinidad Hotels, Restaurants & Tourism Association. "Tobago is perceived as all about sand and sea and Trinidad is perceived as being all about business and nothing else, when we have the richness of our culture, our festivals, everything to offer."

Ecotourism efforts are likely to be targeted on Tobago, with its sparsely populated, unspoilt landscape and its protected rainforest.

Carnival, on the other hand, is a cultural phenomenon shared by both islands. Although born in Trinidad, it has been exported to all corners of the world, from the Notting Hill Carnival in London to the world-famous carnivals of Brazil.

Taking place in February or March each year, it sees thousands pack the streets on both islands, partying to the sound of calypso and soca music. Currently the carnivals happen at the same time on both Trinidad and Tobago, but there have been suggestions this could change to encourage more visitors at different times.

"It is foolish for both islands to have their carnival at the same time, because one will definitely suffer," says Ashworth Jack, Minority Leader in the Tobago House of Assembly. "It gives Tobago an opportunity to showcase the whole idea of carnival in a different way."

At other, quieter times of the year, sports tourism could provide the boost that the country needs. Anil Roberts, Minister of Sport & Youth Affairs, says he wants to encourage northern hemisphere teams to come for winter training.

"In the winter months in Europe and North America you have high school teams, university teams, club teams and national teams who want to train outdoors and enjoy the sun so that they don't have to train in the snow," he says. "So we will market to them."

Other sports could provide a useful platform for marketing the country around the world. There are plans for a golf course designed by Stephen Ames, who was born in Trinidad and currently plays in the PGA Tour in the US. A number of other courses are being revamped and there are plans for a motor sport complex at Waterloo.

"Sports like tennis, golf, motor sport, these are the big money sports that generate television revenues and really market your country," adds Roberts. "We all talk about sport and tourism, but we have to get down to more serious action."

In trying to attract sports teams and spectators from the US, Trinidad & Tobago has the advantage of lying in the same time zone as New York, with plenty of direct flights to the US and Canada.

The other key market is the UK. There are historic ties between the two countries as a result of London's colonial rule of the country and the UK remains home to a significant number of Trinidadians and Tobagonians. The national airline, Caribbean Airlines, flies to several North American cities but not to the UK. However, direct flights to Trinidad are provided by British Airways, and both BA and Virgin Atlantic fly to Tobago, while Caribbean Airlines may also reopen its own UK route before long.

"The UK remains a critical market for Trinidad and Tobago," says Laura Asbjornsen, Head of Corporate Communications at the airline. "We will continue to explore our opportunities and we are confident that we will make the route the success we know that it can be."

The tourism market in the US and UK has been sluggish in recent years, due to the ongoing impact of the global recession, but as those economies pick up and as the country develops its tourism facilities and attractions, Trinidad & Tobago should benefit.

"Trinidad & Tobago must no longer be the best kept secret of the Caribbean," said Griffiths in a speech on 8th June 2010 to travel industry professionals. "The challenge for our industry is to have sites and attractions of an international standard and on a par with the best in the world."

THE WORLD ON A PLATE 

If there is one thing that shows off Trinidad & Tobago's cultural diversity it is the food, from Caribbean specialities to Spanish, French and Chinese dishes. The Indian roti is almost a national dish, along with the Double: a curried chickpea sandwich topped with spicy chutney. Locals eat it for breakfast but you can enjoy it at any time.

LET'S GO "LIMING!"

In Trinidad & Tobago you don't just go out for a drink to catch up with your friends, you go 'liming'. The phrase can describe almost any leisure activity that involves the sharing of food and drink or even just hanging out. Over the past few decades the idea has caught on in countries all over the Caribbean, but it remains a quintessentially Trinidadian experience. So, the next time you find yourself in Port of Spain, take a walk along Ariapita Avenue after dinner and go liming.