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Tourism outlines $2.8M St. Thomas carnival budget; senators press for faster vendor payments and parity across islands
Summary
The Department of Tourism told a Senate committee on March 24 that it has budgeted about $2.8 million for the 2025 St. Thomas Carnival and has secured sanitation, power and interagency plans for the event, while senators urged faster vendor and artist payments and more parity across the territory’s festivals.
The Department of Tourism told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on March 24 that St. Thomas Carnival planning is underway, with an advertised budget of $2.8 million and interagency coordination on public safety, sanitation and permitting. Assistant Commissioner Alani Henneman and Festival Director Ian Turnbull described logistics, vendor arrangements and outreach aimed at increasing arrivals and protecting the carnival experience.
Budget and economic impact
Tourism listed its planned budgets for the 2025 festival season: roughly $2.8 million for St. Thomas Carnival, about $2.2 million for St. Croix Festival and roughly $1.5 million for St. John Celebration. Director Turnbull told senators the department’s visitor surveys and event sampling estimate visitors spend an average of about $2,000 per person during festival visits; festival leaders estimated incremental visitor spending in the millions…
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