Tobago Chamber Welcomes Carnival Growth, Calls For Improved Logistics
The business community in Tobago is welcoming the success of the 2026 Tobago Carnival, with Chairman of the Tobago Division of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Curtis Williams, describing the festival as another step forward in the event’s growth and development.
According to Mr Williams, the fifth edition of Tobago Carnival showed that the festival is growing in the right direction.
« Tobago, we are getting there, and I know with years to come we will be at a stage where they will all admire us in the Caribbean. I could guarantee that, even Trinidad. »
Based on data received from the accommodation sector, Mr Williams estimated that more than 25,000 people visited the island for the festival, with one particular sector among the biggest beneficiaries of the event.
« The food and beverage sector benefitted a whole heaping lot, and then the hospitality sector. Those in the accommodation, they did benefit a lot because a lot of folks were looking for accommodation, so the small hotels, the villas, they were all filled to capacity. »
Improvements were noted with Caribbean Airlines and its handling of the airbridge, an issue Mr Williams said the Chamber had been advocating for improvements to since Tobago Carnival began in 2022.
« Caribbean Airlines did a wonderful job and Port Authority. Those two providers really did a lot for Tobago. I could see people being moved in droves back to Trinidad. They came here in droves, and they went back in droves, and they were all pleased. »
Mr Williams also praised utility companies T&TEC and WASA for ensuring electricity and water supplies were not disrupted, along with the joint-police task force for keeping the Carnival incident-free.
He said he was impressed by the growth and improvement of events hosted by the Tobago Promoters Association, along with the music coming from the island’s artistes.
« It was so interesting to see the quality, the quality of the music, the presentation was… I am telling you, we are getting there, you know, we are definitely getting there. With a bit of practice, with a bit of support from Trinidad and elsewhere, I think the product will be a little better going forward. »
For the 2027 Tobago Carnival, Mr Williams said logistics need to be improved to ensure a greater level of success.
« Logistics in moving people, logistics in accommodating the folks and them, logistics in moving things around. We could work a bit on that logistics issues that we have and the product now; we could define the product. It is important that we define the product and define Tobago Carnival. »
According to Mr Williams, the Chamber is in full support of the festival’s growth and wants to see it reach a stage where it is driven primarily by the private sector, and not the THA.
