THA Secretary of Tourism Tashia Burris at a cheque distribution ceremony on October 21 at Shaw Park. Photo Courtesy T&T Newsday
REMINISCENT of Chief Secretary Farley Augustine’s statement on the management of Tobago Jazz Festival, THA Secretary of Tourism and Culture Tashia Burris on October 21 said the aim of the THA is for stakeholders to take the leading role in the island’s October carnival.
Burris was speaking during a cheque distribution ceremony at Shaw Park Cultural Complex ahead of the October 25-27 festival. Of the $9 million budget, carnival stakeholders received $2 million.
The island is expecting an avalanche of Trinis for the festival, currently in its third year, Inter-island sailings and flights have been fully booked for the carnival for the past two weeks as stakeholders anticipate this year to be the biggest.
International visitors are also expected with as many as 12 events scheduled for October 26.
Burris said the THA does not only want to support stakeholders in fulfilling their dream, but hopes one day to pass the baton to them to manage the festival.
“We want to get to the place where the…(THA) has no involvement in planning, and the people who are managing and implementing the festival are working alongside the government – but they are taking the lead to make sure the product is uniquely Tobagonian.”
Tobago Festivals CEO Kern Cowan agreed with the message.
“We are interested in who our stakeholders are and how we are supporting them. We are interested in growing this orange economy to a place of sustainability – not dependence, but sustainability.”
He predicted that in the future “we will see a different Tobago
News Courtesy the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday: Stephon Nicholas