Strategies involving media and general public have proven effective in the success of the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago's reintroduction of fast ferry service between the key seaports of the twin-island southern Caribbean state.
Largely due to the failure of a similar effort in the mid-1990s, officials of the state-owned port authority faced a challenge in putting the new service in place between the authority's facilities at Port of Spain in Trinidad and the Port of Scarborough in Tobago.
In about 1995, a private entity had introduced a fast ferry service on the same route and, because of the high incidence of seasickness, it became known colloquially as "The Vomit Comet." Not only did that service fail, but, the image of the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, despite cargo-handling improvements and growth in container volume, suffered as a whole. Residents of Trinidad and much-less-populous Tobago wound up with conventional passenger vessels -- taking six hours each way -- again being the primary option for transit between the islands.
The earlier fast ferry attempt had failed so miserably that, when port administrators eyed putting newer ship technology in place on the route in 2002 to boost tourism, they recognized the need to engage media and the public in a positive effort.
Port officials proceeded cautiously, recommending a charter before any vessel purchase, and implementing several strategies, including:
- Initially, as a strategy for acceptance, establishing the ticket price for the fast ferry as the same as that of the existing conventional ferry service;
- Holding a "Name the Fast Ferries" competition, soliciting entries via media, with awards to winners featured in the daily newspapers;
- Inviting local print and broadcast media to witness commissioning and naming of the ferries and to tour the vessels, eliciting free, mostly favorable coverage;
- Promoting the ferry ride as an attractive alternative to flying, as airports on both islands are outside the capital cities;
- Targeting tourist traffic by selling the "day trip to Tobago experience," as well as day trips for Tobago residents to come to Trinidad for shopping -- experiences that were not possible with the conventional ferry schedule and its slower transit times;
- Running a series of newspaper ads featuring the attractiveness and onboard ambiance of the fast ferries; and
- Producing a promotional video that appeared on national television.
When the port authority, backed by government, introduced a chartered high-speed catamaran on the inter-island route, trip time was cut from six hours to fewer than three hours, incidence of motion sickness was drastically reduced and there was an immediate increase in passenger travel.
The authority has gone on to purchase two catamarans, each with a passenger capacity of 800 and carrying as many as 180 vehicles at speeds up to 40 knots. Other service improvements also have been implemented, including the installation of purpose-built access ramps at both ports and construction of a new Port of Spain passenger terminal.
In 2007, the fast ferries carried a total of 875,765 passengers, more than double the number of five years earlier, representing gains in both domestic and international tourism.
Local media outlets and passengers alike have lauded the transformation, and the port authority's image has been enhanced.
