Affectionately labelled the land of Oil and Music, for decades the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) has enjoyed abundant natural resources and a culture so rich and diverse that it represents almost all of the world’s major societies. It is therefore not surprising that T&T’s prime cultural event, Carnival, receives the largest influx of Tourists within the Caribbean Community. T&T Carnival is indeed the mother of all Caribbean Carnivals.
Carnival
For the pre-Lenten celebration of music, masquerade and revelry held annually; events such as Fetes (Parties), Panorama, Stick Fighting Competitions as well as indigenous musical art forms such as Calypso, Soca and Chutney are precursors to the sometimes two-month long Carnival season.
Roughly 36,000 visitors arrive the month of to the two major carnival days (the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday) and room occupancy rates are typically north of 90%. As a festival that basically sells itself due to its euphoric nature; each year the largest influx of diaspora in the southern Caribbean can be seen at T&T’s two International Airports (Piarco & ANR Robinson). For visitors, it is a chance to release all inhibitions and be thoroughly entertained, moreover, these non-residents are a major advertising source for the twin island state. A Travel Motivator Study completed by the Tourism Development Company Ltd (TDC) indicates that “Word-of-Mouth” is the leading motivator for new visitors to our shores.
