Tourism Ministry to work with Carnival stakeholders

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Randall Mitchell says his ministry will continue to work with stakeholders to explore how TT can retain its time and space on the international Carnival calendar to solidify this country’s position as the home of Carnival.

In a release on Tuesday, he agreed with the Prime Minister that business could not continue as usual and it is critical that everyone’s health and safety is not jeopardised. On Monday, Dr Rowley announced that TT will not hold Carnival 2021 because of the covid19 pandemic.

Mitchell said his ministry would continue to prioritise the nation’s health over short-term economic gains “But we also recognise what Carnival means to Trinidad and Tobago," he said. So the ministry will "continue its dialogue with the major stakeholders to envisage a celebration which honours those traditions and adheres to health protocols.”

Mitchell said the ministry would apply the lessons of the successful hosting of the August-September Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 cricket tournament to other tourism and cultural events, as it provided a blueprint for staging large-scale events during the pandemic.

“Trinidad and Tobago must take the lead and provide the world with a benchmark to follow for how such a festival can still hold worldwide attention."

He said the ministry is "working to ensure TT’s Carnival remains at the forefront of the global Carnival landscape and will lay the foundation for an even bigger and better Carnival 2022.”