Minister of Culture Marlene Mc Donald has no doubts that Carnival 2009 will be a success even in the face of the global economic crisis and the fact that the Trinidad Guardian headlined on Sunday that fete promoters are worried. The Trinidad Express reports the Minister's confidence:
"I have been advised that the sales of Carnival costumes are going quite well and that the travel is as usual, (the same) as 2008. So at this point in time there is no reason for alarm with respect to whether we are going to sell our seats and what not, over the Carnival period. We don't envisage any reduction in people playing mas or in people visiting our shores," she said.
She added that the question would be better posed to the Minister of Tourism, "though from where we sit we have not seen any downward trend".
She also goes on to say that the official launch of Carnival 2009 will take place on January 7th and the Government has allocated 120.6 million dollars for the staging of the festival.
While I am glad to hear that Carnival 2009 will go on as normal, in respect to the Government and infrastructure, I think Minister Mc Donald needs to take a tour of the mas camps whereNO sections are sold out at this time and have a little chat with the band leaders and see who really shares her confidence!
SOURCE:
www.trinidadexpress.com
While I am glad to hear that Carnival 2009 will go on as normal, in respect to the Government and infrastructure, I think Minister Mc Donald needs to take a tour of the mas camps whereNO sections are sold out at this time and have a little chat with the band leaders and see who really shares her confidence!
SOURCE:
www.trinidadexpress.com
5 comments:
Anyone from the UK wanting to fly in - ticket prices have gone down a lot this week. I just got a Virgin flight for £520 (it was previously well over £700)
Don't stick!
"Government" says lots of things that we know to be outright lies and half-truths. Why should we start believing them now?
I have heard that Island People is SOLD OUT!...and that "BIG MIKE" was on TV yesterday saying that his band is SOLD OUT! They must be the ones that the Madame Minister is thinking about.
Island People and TRIBE are the only two bands sold out; Harts is close behind with most of their sections sold out. I saw Big Mike on television and he did not say Legacy was sold out, he said that people were registering with Legacy throughout the Christmas season and he expects the trend to continue for 2009.
There are 20 bands for Carnival 2009, the popular ones that is as there are small bands that also come out on the road and for competition who do not have band launches or websites etc. So two bands sold out from 20 isn't a huge number!
With those two bands people are selling their costume like rain because they have to make a choice between saving for their future or jumping up in a band
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