DEVELOPMENT AGENDA PRIORITY R: Harnessing and monetizing cultural heritage and creativity.
About priority R
- Tobago has a rich tradition of curating its cultural heritage for posterity. Much of this heritage finds expression and relevance in familial celebrations, community ceremonial gatherings, and, more broadly, “national” celebrations.
- Over the last four to five decades, a concerted effort has been made to monetize Tobago’s cultural creativity, including its music, literature, poetry, film, fashion, media, performance, built and natural landscapes, visual arts, culinary festivals, and stage and street theatre.
- What has emerged is an organic creative economy that contributes significantly to Tobago’s economic development. However, many aspects of Tobago’s creative economy are monetized by the Tobago House of Assembly.
- Priority R emphasizes the importance of monetizing Tobago’s cultural heritage and creativity by recognizing and transacting unique cultural assets within an open and competitive creative economy.
- Consequently, priority R will focus on producing cultural assets within creative, productive, and distributive cycles, while emphasizing the protection of intellectual property.
Primary performance benchmark: Priority R
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Benchmark: Increase the contribution of culture and the creative industry to at least 3% of GDP by 2035 and at least 5% by 2045.
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Indicator of progress/success: Percent contribution of culture and the creative industry to GDP year-over-year.
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Benchmark country: Jamaica.
Major concerns: Priority P.
| Concerns | Problem Statements |
| Private sector investment | a. Lack of private sector involvement in monetizing culture and the creative arts sector. |
| Open market marketability | b. The marketability of Tobago creatives in an open, competitive entertainment market. |
| Low GDP contribution | c. The entertainment industry’s relatively low GDP contribution to Tobago’s economy. |
1.0 Selected Focus Areas Priority R?
The Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation will collaborate with THA’s other tourism agencies to monetize Tobago’s cultural heritage and creativity by focusing on the following areas:
- Cultural and Creative Economy:
- Develop Skills and Capacities: Promote the enhancement of skills in the creative and cultural economy through training programs, including artist-in-residence initiatives, workshops, and educational projects that focus on areas such as arts, crafts, music, dance, and other traditional cultural art forms.
- Support Entrepreneurship: Support entrepreneurs in the creative economy by providing access to funding, protecting artistic licenses, offering business development services, and establishing mentorship programs.
- Culture and Heritage Tourism:
- Cultural Tourism: Promote Tobago's cultural heritage as a unique selling point for tourism by showcasing traditional festivals, historical sites, and cultural practices to attract visitors eager to experience Tobago’s authentic local culture.
- Heritage Journeys: Develop heritage tourism packages that enable visitors to explore Tobago's cultural and historical sites, featuring guided tours, cultural performances, and interactive experiences that immerse tourists in the local culture.
- Digital Marketing:
- Digital Content Creation: Promote the creation of digital content that highlights Tobago's cultural heritage, including vlogs, blogs, social media posts, and online exhibitions showcasing the island's traditions, arts, and history.
- E-commerce: Develop e-commerce platforms enabling local artists and artisans to showcase and market their talents and products online, expanding their market reach beyond local boundaries and providing a sustainable income stream.
- International Events:
- Trade Fairs and Exhibitions: Participate in international trade fairs and cultural events that promote Tobago's creative and cultural economy, thus providing opportunities to network with global markets and attract international visitors and investors.
- Cultural Exchanges: Promote cultural exchange programs that enable Tobagonian artists and cultural practitioners to collaborate with their international counterparts, fostering cross-cultural learning and creating new markets for Tobago's creative products.
- Community Creativity:
- Festivals and Events: Organize and support local festivals and cultural events that showcase Tobago's heritage. These events foster cultural pride, attract tourists, and stimulate economic activity.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Conduct public awareness campaigns to emphasize the importance of cultural heritage and creativity, fostering community support and appreciation for the creative industries.
- Community Involvement: Engage local communities in the preservation and promotion of their cultural heritage, ensuring artistic practices are maintained and that the advantages of cultural tourism are shared fairly among community members.
MAIN REFERENCE INFORMATION
- Panorama Tobago Report: Introducing the Greatest Little Island on the Planet.
- Community-Based Tourism Sub-Policy of Trinidad and Tobago
- Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the EU through Culture and Creativity
- Tobago revives in-person global tourism marketing
- Linking Caribbean Cultural Resources and Creative Assets for tourism development opportunities.
OTHER INFORMATION
- Integrating Biodiversity Conservation Into The Tourism Sector In Trinidad And Tobago – A Case Of Effective Local Community Participation
- The Economic Impact Of Travel & Tourism March 2020
- Intangible cultural heritage: Safeguarding for creativity
- Caribbean Tourism and development: An overview
- The CIIF List: a compendium of Caribbean Culture.
Targets and Indicators of Progress/Success
Target-R-1
Expand the Tobago Heritage Festival, THF, to include a business and investment forum for Tobagonians in the Diaspora by 2026.
Indicator-R-1
Launch the business and investment forum at the Tobago Heritage Festival 2026.
Target-R-2
Promote the Tobago Heritage Festival, THF, as an annual homecoming for Tobagonians in the diaspora by 2026.
Indicator-R-2
Launch a mass marketing campaign to promote the Tobago Heritage Festival as a homecoming event for all Tobagonians in the Diaspora in 2026.
Target-R-3
Relocate the opening and closing ceremonies of the Tobago Heritage Festival to the Dwight York Stadium and market the event as a pay-per-view event by 2026.
Indicator-R-3
Host the 2026 opening and closing ceremonies of the Tobago Heritage Festival at the Dwight Yorke Stadium.
Target-R-4
Establish the Tobago Academy of the Performing Arts by 2026.
Indicator-R-4
Operationalize the Tobago Performing Arts Academy by 2026.
Target-R-5
Establish the Tobago Heritage Village and Living Museum as a major tourist project to attract foreign and local visitors by 2030.
Indicator-R-5
Conduct a study to determine the feasibility of establishing a Tobago Heritage Village and Living by 2026.
Target-R-6
Establish the Artiste in Residence Program and engage at least ten Tobagonian artistes on a one-year contract to participate in the program by 2027.
Indicator-R-6
Number of Tobagonian artistes enrolled in the Artiste-in-Residence Program year-over-year.
Target-R-7
Invest an appropriate % equivalent of GDP in culture and the creative industry by 2035, and an appropriate % equivalent of GDP by 2045.
Indicator-R-7
Percentage of GDP equivalent invested in culture and the creative industry year-over-year.
