Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 3rd Edition

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Our Competitive Advantage

Dr. Joanne Tull, noted expert on Festival Economics, thinks the regional economic impact of the Carnival can only truly be capitalized upon if domestic and cottage industries are strong enough to sustain their individual Unique Selling Points (USP). Rather than figure out how to generate income from exported Carnivals alone, governments’ role should also lie in facilitating the growth of these cottage industries and ensuring that the necessary policy framework is in place and subsidizing the resources required. Investing in its makers (artisans, performers etc.) and preserving its heritage resources can only push us further in the correct direction for what has already proven itself as a lucrative product, ready to be taken to the world. Caribbean Carnivals have also benefited from social media which has further increased the global publicity of our Carnival brand - primarily the commercialized packaging of Carnival elements within the business and creative production sectors. In Trinidad, companies like Tribe, Caesar’s Army and Scorch are constantly expanding their reach and extending the Trinidad Carnival aesthetic with their sold-out events in the US, UK and sister isles. These events give a taste of the Caribbean Carnival experience and can result in increased tourism which governments can sustain by proper management of their local tourism resources – both in and out of ‘festival season.” Persons who visit for the Carnival may also wish to return in other seasons if other attractions are also marketed. Where better to play a Jab or eat a breadfruit oil down than

of a Trinidad style Carnival complete with economic benefits, indicated key inputs and drivers, commodities for sale and even risk assessments. Furthermore, the Blue Print presents Carnival-related revenue as multipronged spanning creative, cultural industries and a few ancillary areas (see Figure 1). Branding It Caribbean A document like the Blue Print does more than advocate the economic, social and cultural benefits of the festival. It also positions Trinidad and Tobago as the go-to for consultations, cultural exchanges and even raw materials. Could this strategic action be implemented by other territories or the Caribbean as a whole? Can the English-speaking Caribbean create a festival industry? Can we position ourselves as the foremost authority on the development of Carnival and purveyor of its resources to a global market? The UniverSoul Circus franchise spans nine US states. Since its inception, owner Cedric Walker has sought to bring talent from around the globe to his audience including Caribbean dancers from Trinidad’s North West Laventille for their Carnival presentations. In 2015, they also contracted four Trinidadian stilt walkers to portray Moko Jumbies. In Tobago, the company Bagatelle Dutty Camp has been packaging colored mud and has begun making inroads for export to international J’ouvert’s like those in St. Vincent &The Grenadines and Miami.