The October 27-29 dates for the second annual Tobago Carnival is fast approaching and THA Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris has hinted that they will be working with a much smaller budget this year.
Speaking on the Tobago Updates morning show, Burris said the budget is yet to be finalised.
In 2022, the THA budgeted $17 million for the event.
She said after final discussions with the executive council, a public announcement would be made.
“But it definitely would not be as much as last year.”
Burris said the main reason for lower costs was the decision to focus on Scarborough.
“What we have found is that the majority of stakeholders are in favour of us centralising the carnival in Scarborough, because the bandleaders are just one section of that stakeholder grouping.” She said other stakeholders agreed that the carnival, “which is a product created by the THA,” should showcase the capital of Tobago.
She said this helps them to streamline the budget and reduce some of their spending.
Scarborough, she said, also presents the best option for the events planned.
“It’s easy access to Scarborough, there is parking in several places. You have many options to exit Scarborough as well.
“The challenge that we had in Crown Point and Roxborough last year is that when you have a situation where it is largely one main entrance into the space and one or two exits, when you have that volume of people going into that space, you have a traffic nightmare.
“We felt that Scarborough gave some of the best opportunities for us to maximise the resources that we have in the space. In addition to that, the feedback that we got from masqueraders who were on the route last year, they thoroughly enjoyed the route. They thoroughly enjoyed being able to party on the waterfront, cross on the stage on the sea, pass through the highway. They said that party of the chip going up to Bishop’s was some of the best that they had, and they felt safe.”
She said the aim is to build on that.