Current travel advisories for Trinidad and Tobago from the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom have the potential to negatively impact the local tourism industry, Member of Parliament for St Ann’s East, Joanne Thomas has said.

Thomas, who delivered her budget contribution last Friday night in the House of Representatives, Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain, spoke about Government’s target of 500,000 visitors annually and the decline in the arrival of cruise ships to this country.

She said the three advisories were troubling and Government needed to work on fixing the issues raised in them quickly.

“I look at this target, (the Minister of Tourism Stephen Cadiz) has set, I look at the introduction of the JetBlue and the Apollo Airlines and the implementation of the Radisson Hotel but has the minister looked at the advisory that is placed for the tourists coming into our country from the three major countries.

“I look at the advisory that is placed for tourists coming into our country and one of the things that is highlighted, as we would all expect—crime.

“The advisory says violent crime remains high on both islands and affects local and expatriate communities. It is telling its citizens be particularly cautious when travelling after dark from Trinidad’s Piarco Airport as incidents have happened in the past involving armed robbers trailing arriving passengers from the airport and accosting them in remote areas of the airport parking lot and the highway leading from the airport to downtown Port of Spain, and outside gates of residences.”

She added: “The US further goes on to say violent crimes including assault, kidnapping for ransom, sexual assault have involved expatriate, residents and tourists. And what is most disheartening the perpetrators of many of these crimes have not been arrested.”

Thomas said the other parts of the advisory also spoke of the danger of taking taxis which caused “serious traffic accidents” as they attempted to pick up or drop off passengers.

“And when you look at the Canadian advisory it is more or less the same, but then they go on to say remain highly vigilant in Laventille and popular tourist sites like Fort George, La Brea Pitch Lake and Las Cuevas beach. And the same thing applies to the UK about crime and about health.

“We are looking to get 500,000 more visitors to come and these are some of the things we need to address because if these advisories stay current then our expectation will not be realized.”

The budget debate continues tomorrow.