Tobago must face the reality that it is not, and never has been, a major attraction—not even for its residents—when Carnival is held at the same time as in Trinidad.
This is not to say that the island has nothing to contribute during a February Carnival.
The truth is though that Tobago’s attractiveness at Carnival time has always been for its non-Carnival contributions, offering an ideal and affordable space to thousands of nationals seeking to avoid the revelry altogether, based on religious or cultural choices.
Increased spending at hotels and vehicle rental agencies is usually where the island benefits the most.
On the other hand, many of Tobago’s residents seeking to participate in the Carnival experience, head in the opposite direction to Trinidad where the bulk of activity is happening.
Financially, the benefits of maintaining a Tobago Carnival in February have always been minimal.
However, the Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) investment still has some benefit in terms of intellectual capital development, as it creates space for the growth of mas producers, calypsonians, artisans and steelbands who cater to the limited audiences during that time.
Those who grow through this, often find opportunities to display their skills at hotels to international visitors throughout the year.
Considering these factors, the THA must quickly determine if the benefits of hosting a February Carnival on the island truly outweigh the costs of hosting it.
One sound argument against hosting a February Carnival in Tobago is that it gives the THA an opportunity to redirect those funds toward the newly-formed October Tobago Carnival, which provides the same benefits for intellectual capital development.
In addition, the October Carnival has a wider appeal and likelihood of attracting more Trinidad and foreign tourists, who are being offered another bite of the Carnival cherry with no other competing factors. There’s little question of Tobago’s ability to make the October Carnival into a highly-visited event.
Even with poor marketing over the years, the island is often bursting at the seams over the long Easter weekend, the Great Fete weekend, the Jazz Festival weekend when it is held, the Great Race weekend and the month-long Tobago Heritage Festival.
In fact, the number of Trinidadians who visited the island for last year’s first October Carnival prompted Caribbean Airlines to add flights between the islands, giving credence to the view that the event is likely to grow into a special part of the Tobago cultural events calendar.
The model that the THA employed by having Trinidad mas bands work closely with developing Tobago producers during the October event allows for a transfer of knowledge at a time when the big bands in Trinidad are not overwhelmed with their own operations, thereby also helping to develop intellectual capacity among Tobagonian mas makers.
In the end, it is for the THA to decide whether the February show will go on but it is difficult to see how it makes commercial sense.
Unless the THA and Tobago stakeholders can find additional meaningful benefits to tilt the scale, the THA may find that it’s left with little choice but to reverse, or at least significantly reduce, its financial input into the Carnival next month.
