[UPDATED] Burris: $17.5m for safe, epic Tobago carnival

THA Secretary of Tourism Tashia Burris said the Executive Council has approved $17.5 million for the island's inaugural carnival.

Burris announced the budget on Monday, less than two weeks before the official carnival activities get under way, from October 28-30.

"We're actually hoping to spend less, because we have a number of sponsors who have come on board to support the carnival in its first year...Our spend is really targeted to marketing and ensuring this is the safest carnival," she said.

She said 200 additional police officers will be on the ground to ensure everyone's safety.

She warned that any person who has plans of engaging in illegal activities to think twice.

"We put the safety and security of our locals and visitors at the forefront, and obviously building out the infrastructure that is necessary so people can have an epic time."

The carnival will feature a number of fetes, boat rides and parties as well as official THA events: Pan in the Gayelle, mud festival, J'ouvert, night mas, TUCO Tobago lime and a parade of the bands.

Carnival stakeholders have been clamouring for more flights to Tobago as the interest for the carnival heightens.

On Monday Burris said CAL has provided an additional 19,144 seats for the upcoming Carnival.

This will mean the airline has achieved a return to its pre-covid schedule. "even with all the challenges they have and protocols they have to follow.”

“They have not asked THA to pay for these seats. This is basically CAL saying , 'We want a relationship with the THA that is progressive, we believe in Tobago as a destination, and we will do all we can to support Tobago.' We are extremely grateful for that.”

CAL introduced two new direct flights to Tobago for the Tobago carnival from Barbados and Miami. There will also be two additional flights on the JFK, New York-Tobago route on October 23 and 26.

Condor will resume flying in Tobago in the first week of November.

“We already have 1,000 passengers on this airline booked to visit Tobago.”

THA has also engaged British Airways for airlift in the first quarter of 2023.

Last week Virgin Airlines discontinued its flights to Tobago from Heathrow Airport, London

Burris admitted Tobago could not continue to bear the cost of a service that did not add value to its tourism product.

“The decision to end Virgin's contract came from Tobago, the tourism agency, because we realised the amount of money we were paying for airlift from Virgin didn’t make dollars and cents and it also didn’t make sense. The numbers have been bad – we are not going to hide that.”

The money that will be saved through this move will be pumped into introducing new international routes at the start of next year.

“We are targeting the Canadian market and we are looking at either continuing the Miami direct (flight) to Tobago or the possibility of a Grenada direct to Tobago route.”

This story was originally published with the title "THA to spend $17.5m for inaugural carnival" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

THA Secretary of Tourism Tashia Burris said the Executive Council has approved $17.5 million for the island's inaugural carnival.

Burris announced the budget on Monday, less than two weeks before the official carnival activities get under way, from October 28-30.

"We're actually hoping to spend less, because we have a number of sponsors who have come on board to support the carnival in its first year...Our spend is really targeted to marketing and ensuring this is the safest carnival," she said.

She said 200 additional police officers will be on the ground to ensure everyone's safety.

She warned that any person who has plans of engaging in illegal activities to think twice.

"We put the safety and security of our locals and visitors at the forefront, and obviously building out the infrastructure that is necessary so people can have an epic time."