Paras Ramoutar/IANS

Port-of-Spain, Aug 22: Indian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago Malay Mishra has announced that state-owned Caribbean Airlines and Air India are working on a project to reduce air fares between the two countries.

He told a meeting that when the programme become operational "an airline ticket purchased in Trinidad and Tobago will connect a Caribbean Airlines flight with Air India in New York."

Travel for trade, cultural and religious reasons between both countries continues to escalate, but there could be a higher number of visits if the air fares are reduced.

In June, India Tourism and Air India officials based in New York met several travel agents and discussed ways to boost tourism from Trinidad and Tobago to India.

People of Indian origin constitute nearly 40 percent of the 1.3 million population of Trinidad and Tobago. Their ancestors came here from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar between 1845 and 1917 to work on sugar plantations.