Tourism ministry: Record visitors, spending for Carnival 2025

CARNIVAL 2025 drew over 41,000 air arrivals and generated an estimated $34 million in spending from passengers on the Epic Carnival Experience cruise alone, marking it a “resounding success,” a report from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts has revealed.

The report, released on April 2, attributed the achievement to strategic stakeholder collaboration and boosted international connectivity.

Preliminary data from the Immigration Division indicated air arrivals during the Carnival period, spanning February 14 to March 4, totalled 41,022 visitors, with daily arrivals peaking at around 3,500 during the final week leading up to Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

Cruise tourism more broadly also saw significant activity, with 3,311 passengers docking in Port of Spain and 10,615 arriving in Tobago.

The Epic Carnival Experience, a premium cruise offering aboard Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas, boosted visitor numbers and economic activity.

The vessel reportedly brought 1,200 passengers to Trinidad while 300 more boarded locally. Passengers attended major events such as Panorama and Soca Brainwash, spent on mas costumes with bands like Tribe and Yuma, and contributed an estimated $34 million to the economy through food purchases, transportation services and other expenditures.

The ministry celebrated Carnival’s role as an economic powerhouse, stimulating activity across costume design, food and beverage services, entertainment production, logistics and event management.

An exit survey by Tourism Trinidad Limited (TTL) found air visitors spent an average of $15,336 during their stay.

Combined with cruise passenger expenditure estimates, it said the festival’s economic impact extended well beyond ticketed events.

Minister of Tourism Randall Mitchell lauded these financial gains while acknowledging Carnival’s broader cultural significance.

“Carnival continues to be a powerful testament to our culture’s global appeal. Despite initial concerns about visitor arrivals, the overwhelming turnout demonstrates the strength of Trinidad and Tobago’s heritage and the power of the Carnival brand.”

The Ministry attributed part of this year’s success to improved international connectivity. Caribbean Airlines launched new routes connecting Trinidad to Puerto Rico, Martinique, Guadeloupe and other regional destinations.

Frontier Airlines introduced direct flights between Puerto Rico and Trinidad three times weekly. Liat resumed service to Port of Spain with five daily flights from hubs such as Barbados and Grenada.

Major international carriers also increased their flight frequencies during peak periods. Copa Airlines added flights from Panama while KLM boosted its service from the Netherlands. United Airlines extended its seasonal Newark-to-Trinidad route for both Christmas and Carnival periods.

Flagship events hosted by the National Carnival Commission (NCC) reported record-breaking attendance figures. Panorama 2025 celebrated steelpan artistry under the theme Steelpan Fuh So! Unleash D’ Power. The government increased financial grants for steelbands – single pan bands received $10,000 (up from $7,500), while conventional bands were allocated $20,000 (up from $15,000).

Additionally, over 5,500 steelpan players benefitted from enhanced stipends.

The inaugural Ultimate Soca Champion Competition added further excitement to this year’s festivities.

Blaka Dan won the top prize of $1 million as Ultimate Soca Champion; Sucre claimed $200,000 as Youth Soca Champion; and Yung Bredda was named bmobile People’s Champion with a prize of $10,000.

The competition garnered regional attention through televised broadcasts and international streaming platforms.

Carnival attendees expressed overwhelming satisfaction with their experience. According to TTL’s survey, 93 per cent of respondents said they would recommend TT Carnival to others; 96 per cent indicated plans to return within three years; and first-time visitors accounted for 17 per cent of respondents.

Tourists favoured Maracas Beach, with 96 per cent of survey participants rating it as excellent.

The ministry said final visitor data was being finalised.

Although celebrating success, Mitchell said ongoing stakeholder collaboration will be crucial in addressing challenges and enhancing future Carnivals.

“Collaboration among hotels, airlines, promoters and band leaders will be instrumental in expanding the festival’s reach.”

The Epic Carnival Experience has committed to returning for three more years (2026–2028), momentum the ministry said it plans to leverage by refining processes to enhance both participant experience and economic outcomes.

“Inspired by the extraordinary success of 2025, we remain committed to elevating the Carnival experience to even greater heights,” Mitchell said.