By Admin. Updated 9:55 a.m., Thursday, July 4, 2024, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
The Carnival Development Corporation, today (July 4) said Vincymas 2024 will proceed, but with a focus on rallying assistance for victims of Hurricane Beryl.
Vincymas is the name of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ carnival, and it was to be held June 30 to July 9.
Some events were held before the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 1, but many others were postponed.
The rest of the festival came into question due to the passage and impact of Hurricane Beryl.
Public opinion has been split on whether the remaining carnival should be cancelled with some people expressing the view on social media that the carnival should be canceled. Others have said that the carnival should proceed due to the economic fallout from the hurricane and the further economic strain the absence of carnival would create, and others have been neutral on the issue.
Some people have also said that it will be a bad look to see that some people have been displaced and are suffering while others are partying and celebrating.
On July 2, while leaving the hurricane-devastated Union Island, Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture – Carlos James told One News SVG: “Having visited Union Island and seen the devastation, the furthest thing from my mind is a carnival”.
But he said Cabinet was to make a decision on the matter through discussions with the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) and its stakeholders.
He also acknowledged the fact that many hoteliers had reported being fully booked for the Carnival season with many visitors currently in the country for the festival.
In its July 4 press release, the CDC said:
“Based on our discussions with the components of Vincymas and Cabinet, the Carnival Development Corporation has made the decision to proceed with an abridged version of Vincymas, from Saturday, July 6 to Tuesday July 9.”
“We believe all stakeholders are in a unique position to leverage Vincymas to provide support, whether through financial or in-kind, to assist the countless persons affected by Hurricane Beryl,” the CDC said.
The Statutory body which is in charge of coordinating the national festival said:
“The impacts of Hurricane Beryl have been significant. Many households and livelihoods have been lost and will take years to rebuild. We join with the countless Vincentians and others who have pledged their support to assist with rebuilding and providing immediate assistance to all who have been affected.”
“In a year where Vincymas was earmarked to be one of the largest in years, from the number of events, expected visitors and increases in prize monies, we are cognizant of the multiplicity of factors in considering the way forward. Of significance to us are the optics of continuing with the festival, amidst the widespread devastation to the Southern Grenadines. Further, we considered the significant loss of revenue amidst the cancellation of flights and investments made by stakeholders,” the CDC added.
A schedule outlining the events which will be held within the coming days, will be released by the end of today, Thursday, July 4, 2024, the CDC said.
One News SVG 