Carnival in T&T is a centuries-old annual event dating back to the late 18th century, when French plantation owners organised masquerades (mas) before the start of the Lenten period.
That is why it is perplexing, and frustrating, that while the festival has evolved in so many ways, there still isn’t a proper system in place to measure and harness the considerable wealth it generates.
In a few days, when the 2023 edition, dubbed the “Mother of all Carnivals” shifts into high gear, the monetary figure that will get the most attention will be the $147 million allocated to the National Carnival Commission (NCC).
The sum is considered by some stakeholders to be well short of what is needed to successfully stage the events in the run-up to Carnival Monday and Tuesday. NCC chairman Winston “Gypsy” Peters estimates at least $200 million is needed to fully fund Carnival.
The truth is, however, that $147 million, the Government’s investment for 2023 in the country’s biggest festival and most important cultural export, is a drop in the bucket compared to the revenue Carnival generates.
But the consistent failure by successive administrations to fully recognise Carnival as a significant pillar of economic activity, makes it one of the most underestimated industries in the country.
A look at key figures from January and February 2020, the last time this country staged a full-fledged festival before COVID-19 restrictions kicked in, gives a glimpse of its value to the economy. Over an average of 12 days that year, there were 78,148 tourist arrivals who spent approximately $12,101 while taking in the sights and sounds of Carnival.
More people travel to T&T during the Carnival season than at any other time in the year. The largest number of arrivals and highest hotel/guesthouse occupancy, with an average daily spend of US$250, is recorded at the height of the season.
This income generating potential extends beyond Ash Wednesday, as many of T&T’s Carnival entrepreneurs, major mas bands and artistes, export their technical expertise to diasporic Caribbean-styles carnivals across the region, North America and Europe.
And this is just a glimpse at the potential for wealth creation through Carnival-based industries, with employment, foreign exchange earnings and private sector development. However, the industry is yet to be properly studied and measured.
Instead, annual budgeting for T&T’s Carnival is based on guesstimates rather than proper assessments of the industry’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). The season often degenerates into complaints from some stakeholders – usually the ones totally dependent on state funding – that allocations are too small.
Failure to determine the real value of Carnival 2023, therefore, means its full potential will not be realised to the benefit of T&T’s economy
A handful of private entities have found ways to generate wealth, create sustainable employment and export their Carnival-themed brands and events. That success needs to be replicated on a larger scale but continues to elude the NCC and the Carnival interest groups.
Sadly, unless there is a transformation in the way state-funded entities manage the business of Carnival, T&T will not reap the full benefits of being the birthplace of the steelpan, mas and calypso.