00:00France's ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Guillaume Peir, says the country's biodiversity could place it among the world's leading ecotourism
00:10destinations.
00:11He points to locations such as Grand Revere, the Karanee Swamp and the Northern Range as key attractions.
00:20Experiences like turtle nesting at Grand Revere, he says, have strong international appeal.
00:28Trinidad has incredible opportunities of tourism, in particular in everything which has to do, I think, with ecotourism and nature
00:37tourism.
00:37I was very recently, I went to Grand Revere. I saw the incredible event of the turtles coming, nesting at
00:46night.
00:47You know, people are ready to travel thousands of kilometers to see that.
00:50There is also the Karanee Swamps with the red ibis, the scarlet ibis. There are also hummingbirds and many other
00:57things.
00:58All this put together, it makes a whole package.
01:01The ambassador also says Trinidad and Tobago does not fully capitalize on its natural resources, citing the annual arrival of
01:10leatherback turtles as a major draw for ecotourists.
01:13Those turtles, the leatherbacks, they are the age of the dinosaurs. It's unique.
01:21It's among the oldest animal in the world that you can see and almost touch.
01:26And they come to Trinidad every year, and the highest concentration of turtles in the world is in Trinidad and
01:33Tobago.
01:34So I think it's not well perceived at the level where it could be.
01:40I think people could travel from all over the world to see that because it's a very powerful moment of
01:48contact with nature, with history, with life in a beautiful setting.
01:55Beyond ecotourism, Peir says opportunities are also emerging in marine tourism, including the expansion of the yachting sector, with nearly
02:051,000 vessels visiting local marinas each year.
02:10He also points to agriculture as an area for collaboration, particularly through shared experiences with French Caribbean territories.
02:18Beyond tourism, the ambassador is also highlighting business opportunities for French investment.
02:24Peir says Trinidad and Tobago remains open to business with growing interest from French companies in sectors such as construction,
02:34energy, and infrastructure.
02:36He notes that French films have already contributed to major infrastructural projects, including the waterfront and highway developments.
02:45Vishana Pargu for TV6 News.
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