Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 3rd Edition

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Trade & Export Hot Spots

Ziggy Marley performs at the 2017 Beale Street Music Festival.

Cultural Export The demand for cultural consumption is at an all-time high in the ASEAN region. The evidential success of Korean pop music or “K-Pop” as a South Korean export is testament to its viability. This can easily be reciprocated by the cultural influence of genres such as Calypso, Soca, Reggae, etc. which have already been identified as distinctly Caribbean for decades. The performance of Ziggy Marley at the 2014 Singapore Formula 1 GP showcases this fact as he was very well received by the thousands of fans present at the event. It is sad to note though that this was his first visit to Singapore and the region throughout his entire career. The Caribbean is known for its carnivals and live-music festivals yet little of that unique musical export reaches Southeast Asia through official channels including record companies, radio stations and music-related websites. From artists to products to fashion to food, an integrated cultural brand that is unique to the Caribbean has been instilled in Southeast Asia and is waiting to be explored further. The remarkable absence of Caribbean gastronomical ventures in the region is an underdeveloped area. The success of a food company called “De Original Jamaican Pattie” in the Philippines has been mostly due to the lack of competition in the entire country since its establishment in 1990. Singapore’s “Lime House” restaurant has

This steady growth in tourism expenditure could easily be captured by the Caribbean but is hampered by the general lack of regional representation and the relative non-existence of local marketing initiatives in Southeast Asia.