Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 3rd Edition

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Our Competitive Advantage

Carnival as an annual mainstream income earner will require a multi-layered strategy at both local and regional levels of advocacy, proper analytics, marketing, incentives and subsidization.

USPs e.g. in 2012, Rihanna signed a 3-year deal to be the ‘face of Barbados’ (Vogue, 2012). Her 2013 tourism campaign was even credited for the country’s spectacular gains since 2014 rising from 60,000 to 100,000 visitors in just 12 months (The Telegraph, 2016).

On a singular level, it starts with government buy-in and a strategy to market, build and support the Carnival industry. At the level of CARICOM, it requires identifying Carnival as an economic driver and a regional strategy for maximizing monetization. Proper definition of festival product and marketing strategies at both national and regional levels would also help. The development of the Blueprint for example included observations and review of the activities within the festival in Trinidad and Tobago over a three-year period and stakeholder consultation. Memorializing Caribbean heritage into museums, virtual interactive exhibits etc. may also add to the mix. With so many cultural differences between islands, heritage is a mainstay and thus a marketable product in the Caribbean realm that can attract re-visits. These are all viable suggestions. Some of the following may also be a good start; • Possible shifts in dates to ensure maximum revenue across islands. Carnival is divided by season into three categories; Christmas Carnivals such as The Bahamas and St. Kitts/Nevis, the Pre-Lenten Carnivals of Trinidad & Tobago and Dominica and finally, Summer Carnivals like Crop Over and Spice Mas. Governments may use such a spread in their favor. In 1981, Grenada’s Spice Mas was moved from February to August to stave off competition from other regional Carnivals like Trinidad’s and to maximize on ‘summer tourism’. • Proper research and data collection to construct a holistic analysis and determine the impact of the Carnival in its various nations and sectors. • Increased skills training and workshops for locals interested in Carnival Arts. • Increased government sponsorship and/or subsidization, particularly for the cottage industries which are critically dependent on this type of assistance. • Dedicated global ambassadors pushing their country’s

Endnotes 1.

ACS - Association of Caribbean States.

2. Representative of visitor expenditure only and not total contribution of Carnival to GDP of Trinidad and Tobago. No reference to affecting factors e.g. increasing cost of goods and services indicated.

References • Burke, Dr. Suzanne. Eyes Wide Open: Festival Strategy in the Caribbean. Barbados, 2013. Website. • CultureDivision,TrinidadandTobagoMinistryofArtsandMulticulturalism. "Carnival Trinidad and Tobago Style: The Blueprint." 2014. • National Carnival Commission. Carnival Business Links. Annual report. Port of Spain: National Carnival Commission Strategy and Business Development Unit, 2016. • Tull, Dr. Joanne. Festival Economics in the Caribbean: Challenges and Prospects. St. Michael: Creative Industries Exchange, 2013.