Article written by Clayton Clarke – sharfusjournals@gmail.com
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: (Thur, Oct 22) The importance of a country’s diaspora to its development was underscored by distinguished scholar and practitioner in sustainable tourism development, Dr. Sherma Roberts.
Dr. Roberts was speaking at the 2026 Homecoming Conference hosted by the Trinbago Diaspora Outreach Network (TDON) at the Radisson Hotel Trinidad, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, on October 16. She is calling for greater attention to the role of the Trinidad and Tobago diaspora. “(The country’s) greatest untapped development resource is not beneath our soil, but living beyond our shores. We spend a lot of resources trying to attract foreign investors, but there is something that money cannot easily buy.”
“Are we treating our diaspora as a strategic development partner, or merely as visitors, remittance senders, and occasional donors?” Dr. Roberts asked.
Dr. Roberts, a panelist on the topic “Diaspora Investments – Catalysing the Service Sector,” advocated for a broader review of diaspora influence. “Have we confused diaspora engagement with diaspora entertainment? What happens when the music stops, the conference ends, and the visitors return overseas? What remains? What has changed? And what can we measure? For me, diaspora tourism is more than a return trip. It can be a springboard for strategic and sustainable development that is mutually beneficial,” she said.
The Deputy Director of the UWI Cave Hill School of Business and Management added: “The diaspora is not just blue-collar workers, as we have tended to frame them. They run the gamut from white-collar experts to academics and everything in between. Many diasporans are keyboard warriors speaking into the country of their birth on issues of politics, governance, social issues and so on. Data from UN Tourism suggests that diaspora tourism accounts for the second largest reason for travel.”
Dr. Roberts has an internationally recognised body of work spanning diaspora tourism, tourism resilience, community participation, sustainable tourism practices, and island tourism systems. According to the UWI website, her research has made substantial contributions to advancing theoretical and applied understanding of tourism in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
SPONSORS of Homecoming 2026: Tobago House of Assembly, Radisson Trinidad, Belgroves, Caribbean Airlines, Mind Your Life Global, Zinora Global Advisory, CANE Radio, Maranatha Properties Limited, Caribbean Showtime.
Article written by Clayton Clarke
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