Port of Spain, Trinidad – Thursday January 20, 2022 – Against the backdrop of a global deadly pandemic with international travel and tourism in a fluid and uncertain dynamic, a TT$10m villa – Height of Being in Tobago – has opened. Owned and operated by Trinidad born global travel and tourism consultant, Dr. Auliana Poon, Height of Being demonstrates the high level of optimism and firm belief in the future of Tobago’s tourism.
With the onslaught of Covid-19, the global tourism industry suffered a huge blow in 2020 because of lockdowns and travel restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, which made people around the world limit their activity and lose their economic livelihoods. Even though rising vaccination rates, the easing of travel restrictions and globally aggressive health and safety education awareness programs have positively affected consumer travel, the spread of the Omicron variant and fears of other mutants have not fully arrested the fall in travel confidence.
Located on an 11-acre organic fruit estate in the scenic village of Arnos Vale and perched on a secluded mountain top, Height of Being is an ultra-modern luxury retreat that caters to the most sophisticated and discerning traveller. The villa offers unhindered views of the beautiful Caribbean Sea on one side with stunning vistas of Tobago’s verdant hills and valleys on the other.
But this is not the first venture of Dr. Auliana Poon in tourism investment as Height of Being is an addition to the original Villa Being which was voted by the international publication Forbes Magazine as one of the most fabulous villas in the Caribbean.
Dr. Poon believes that “there is no better time than now for tourism investment in our twin island Republic. The global pandemic has brought the world to its knees, and tourism has been the worst affected of all the major economic sectors. But Covid-19 has also given us an opportunity to ‘RE’ – rethink, reimagine, reinvent, and re-engineer.
In this environment of heightened uncertainty, radical shifts and a New/Next Normal, it is critical to rethink, refocus, reimagine, re-engineer and reposition tourism to reflect the radically changing scenarios and to be adequately future-proofed. And this is my formula for recovery and resilience, and I encourage other tourism entrepreneurs to also pivot in re-thinking their operations”.
Dr. Poon went on to add that
“travellers are considering trips in 2022 that enriches their experiences, holidaying in the great outdoors providing both rest and socially distanced explorations. Travelers will be seeking out private hidden gems, dream destinations, and opportunities for nature-focused activities such as exists right here in beautiful Tobago and on Villa Being estate itself”.
Both Villa Being and Heights of Being were designed by Trinidad and Tobago architect Roger Turton. Some of the amenities of Height of Being include an infinity pool and jacuzzi, a sunset gazebo, on-call concierge service, a private chef, personal maid service and unlimited sensual experiences of Tobago’s natural environment.
Villa Being suite of properties are positioned as unique Caribbean vacation spots ideally suit for the traveller that is now seeking now more than ever safety in an isolated, manageable, hygienic environment, away from the hustle, bustle, and stresses of today’s fast paced lifestyle. Villa Being suite of properties are spectacular and a statement about the promising potential of Tobago’s tourism industry.
Dr. Poon, through her company Leve Global, has developed numerous tourism plans and marketing strategies for countries all over the world including South Africa, Singapore, Mozambique, The Gambia, Tanzania, Abu Dhabi, and the entire Caribbean region. Auliana Poon also developed strategies for trend-setting companies such as Sandals International (Jamaica) and Conservation Corporation (Africa); and developed the “tourism begins at home” programme that sparked the turnaround in the Bahamas Tourism Industry in the early 1990s.