Tobago carnival’s shrinking budget

WHEN it comes to Tobago’s carnival, there’s hope that the third time's the charm.

But a dwindling budget, as well as continued complaints about lack of consultation and accountability, suggests the idea of turning this festival into truly big business is a long way from realisation.

The budget for the inaugural edition of the carnival in 2022 was set at $17.5 million by the Tobago House of Assembly. Actual spending was estimated at around $13 million.

Last year’s spending was whittled down to $12.6 million.

This year, according to Tobago Festivals Commission Ltd CEO Kern Cowan, the budget is $9 million.

Mr Cowan, who has only been in the post since September, insisted there’s been no delay in disclosing the cost.

"I don’t know that it took long," he said. "But that budget has always been what it was. It has always been $9 million and we are at the point where we are doing the work to support that."

Not only do the facts on public record contradict this as it relates to previous years, but as recently as September 10, Assistant Culture Secretary Niall George said he could not give a figure, adding tellingly that owing to "a lot of late buy-in and sponsorship, the budget has to be adjusted."

The lack of accountability on something as rudimentary as this reflects wider problems.

The annual rite of the late-hour disclosure of funding levels generates an aura of uncertainty which harms planning. The lack of details as to exactly where the spending goes compounds the problem.

This is not how a fixture on the cultural calendar should be nurtured.

For a new and relatively small event, there are far too many echoes of the longstanding complaints that have plagued carnivals administered by the National Carnival Commission (NCC). An opportunity is being squandered.

That is borne out by the continued complaints about poor stakeholder engagement.

Political leader of the Innovative Democratic Alliance (IDA) Dr Denise Tsoiafatt-Angus on October 9 lamented what she described as "a lack of respect and recognition for our locals, culture and stakeholders.

"For them, it’s not just a festival, it’s a major source of income. We’re not asking for favours. We are asking for a seat at the table.

But others have a more optimistic view of things.

According to Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association president Alpha Lorde, the event is trending in a positive direction.

"The carnival is definitely growing," he said on October 9. "For a carnival in its third edition, everything about it is pointing in a positive direction."

Yet he noted most participants remain people from Trinidad, as well as the slow pace at which larger hotels tend to get filled.

Tobago’s tourism product cannot just rely on the old sun-sand-and sea model.

And to overcome the increasingly daunting challenge posed by record crime, it needs to supercharge its appeal.

The carnival could play a pivotal role in this.

But unfortunately, it is business as usual.