Did Jamaica’s Carnival finally top Trinidad’s? 

Well because I don’t want to start another island war, we’ll leave that one alone. But one thing’s for certain, Jamaica Carnival 2023 topped itself compared to other years.

Hey guys, I’m Kalilah Reynolds a business journalist and financial educator based in Jamaica.

Listen I know some of you are still tiaad from Carnival and others are having serious tabanca. I mean did you see the costumes? And literally everywhere I looked on social media there was another international celebrity. 

And from all indications, Carnival was also a win for Jamaica’s economy. 

The Ministry of Tourism said that all the hotels and Airbnbs in Kingston and St Andrew were close to 100% booked out. 

There were visitors from all over the world, so the passenger arrivals would have skyrocketed! 

And based on my social media sleuthing, many of these tourists stayed for the entire week or even longer so they likely spent more money. And remember we just talked about the fact that Jamaica earns a lot of its USD from travellers who come to the island.

So the tourism industry definitely got a win.

According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, carnivals before the pandemic brought around $5 billion into the economy. And that’s without hotels being at max capacity. So, can you imagine what the final tally for this year will be? 

And I know you’re thinking, what’s so different about this year? Why were all the revellers out? I think it’s a combination of a few things. 

COVID fatigue is definitely a big one. 

Most people were cooped up in the house for the better part of three years! And the entertainment industry was shut down for most of it. That hit a lot of people deep in their pockets. And I’m not just talking about the big companies that sponsor these events or the promotors that put them on. But don’t forget about the lady that sells soup by the fence or the man that sells flags and horns. They would have also been severely impacted.

So now that outside open up, everybody wants to put their best foot forward. 

Also, corporate Jamaica and even the Government seemed to throw their full weight behind this Carnival. Again, businesses and the country lost out on a lot of money during COVID, so they’re making up for lost time. A lot of brands teamed up with the bands to offer unique experiences. 

I can’t wait to see the final numbers though.