we'd like to explore developing a tobago-specific version of an existing ai-powered travel platform in partnership with visit tobago.

the platform would essentially give visitors a personal tobago travel companion in their pocket. before arriving, it could help somebody understand what the island has to offer, plan their trip + imagine how they might spend their time. once they're there, it could help them discover more of the island as they go.

the intention is to make visiting tobago easier without taking away from the way people naturally discover the island.

✓ discover restaurants, local food + businesses
✓ find beaches, attractions, tours + experiences
✓ discover events + festivals happening during their stay
✓ learn about tobago's culture + history while exploring
✓ create personalised itineraries around their interests
✓ arrange transport + make bookings
✓ receive relevant recommendations throughout their trip
✓ discover places + experiences they may never have known to search for

ultimately, the technology should help somebody spend less time figuring out their trip + more time actually experiencing tobago.

one of the things i personally love about tobago is how much you discover through people. somebody tells you where to eat, somebody gives you a driver's number, somebody recommends a beach, and then somebody else tells you what's happening later.

i don't think technology should replace any of that. if anything, it should help a visitor who doesn't already have those relationships get further into the island + eventually make those connections for themselves.

the focus isn't really the ai. the focus is tobago.

the technology is simply a way of making the island, its stories, businesses, people + experiences easier to discover.

for this to be valuable, we'd want the people already creating brilliant things in tobago to benefit from it too.

restaurants, tour guides, drivers, accommodation providers, food businesses, events, water sports, cultural experiences + independent businesses could all become easier for visitors to find, with businesses able to be listed without charge.

we'd also want education to form part of how the platform is introduced. familiarity with technology shouldn't determine which businesses get to participate.

✓ free listings for local businesses
✓ simple onboarding + support
✓ in-person sessions for businesses that want help using the platform
✓ opportunities for local people to eventually support + teach the technology
✓ a way for smaller businesses to become more visible to visitors

the aim would be to introduce new technology with the island rather than simply to the island.

technology can make somebody's trip easier once they're interested in tobago, but first they need a reason to want to come.

this is where my own involvement goes beyond the platform.

i've already spent the last couple of years sharing tobago because i genuinely enjoy doing it. i've documented places i've found, things i've learnt, food, experiences, people + the everyday moments that have made me keep coming back.

i'd like to build on that more intentionally; creating destination storytelling that still feels like the way i've naturally spoken about tobago so far.

the aim isn't simply to tell somebody “visit tobago.”

it's to show them enough of the island that they start thinking “why haven't i been?”

✓ original destination content through @ms.semple
✓ discovering + documenting local businesses and experiences
✓ culture, history, food + people
✓ content around real trips rather than staged advertising alone
✓ storytelling that can continue reaching people after each visit

i already want to tell people about tobago. this would simply give us an opportunity to do more with something that's happening naturally anyway.

the longer-term vision goes beyond the app + my own content.

through riónce caribbean, i'm developing experiences centred around caribbean culture, connection + keeping knowledge circulating. i'd love tobago to become somewhere we physically bring some of that work.

one idea i'm particularly interested in developing is creative retreats; bringing small groups of artists, designers, photographers, musicians, writers + other creative people to tobago to spend meaningful time making, resting, exploring + learning on the island.

rather than creating an experience that could happen anywhere and simply placing it in tobago, tobago itself would be an important part of the experience.

✓ staying with local accommodation providers
✓ eating + spending with local businesses
✓ working with tobagonian creatives + practitioners
✓ exploring the island with local guides
✓ learning about culture + history
✓ creating work inspired by time spent there
✓ giving people another reason to choose tobago

over time, i can see the technology, storytelling + experiences working together; helping people discover tobago, giving them reasons to come + making it easier for them to experience more once they're there.

we don't think this needs to begin with a huge rollout. we'd rather start with something useful, put it in front of real people + learn from it.

✓ demonstrate — develop a tobago-specific version of the platform + demonstrate the technology to visit tobago.

✓ pilot — work with a considered selection of local businesses, tourism providers, experiences + destination information.

✓ onboard — support participating businesses + make sure the information visitors receive is useful and accurate.

✓ test — put the platform into the hands of real visitors and understand how they actually use it while travelling around tobago.

✓ develop — use what we learn to improve the experience + explore what a wider rollout could look like.

alongside this, i'd like to explore how my existing content around tobago could support the pilot + begin introducing the idea to potential visitors.

at this stage, we're mainly asking for a conversation + the opportunity to show you what we're building.

we'd love to understand what visit tobago is already working towards, where something like this could complement those plans + whether there is an opportunity to develop a pilot together.

✓ a meeting with the relevant members of the visit tobago team
✓ the opportunity to demonstrate the technology
✓ insight into current tourism priorities + visitor needs
✓ guidance around accurate destination information
✓ introductions to relevant tourism + business organisations where appropriate
✓ exploration of a visit tobago × platform pilot
✓ a wider conversation around destination storytelling + future experiences

we're not approaching this believing we already have every answer for tobago. we have technology we think could be useful, a genuine desire to bring more people to the island + ideas for how those things could work together.

we'd like to explore the rest with you.