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Carnival in Jamaica climaxed in the streets of Kingston on Sunday with the highly anticipated Road March, which was all colourfully wrapped up with the usual fun and excitement that has kept revellers from near and far returning year after year.
From gracefully decorated, multicoloured wings to paragliders flying overhead, this year’s staging came with just that extra bit of pizazz that is guaranteed to leave revellers with good memories long after they’ve returned home.
As the day marched on and the streets become inundated with jumpers for Xodus Carnival, it was hard to identify any one clearly defined costumed group in the busy roadways.
Instead, patrons from across the United Kingdom, United States, Europe and more were treated to a proper showcasing of carnival in Jamaica.
When asked how they managed to pull such a diverse audience, Xodus CEO Pierre Goubault explained that it’s all about marketing.
“At Xodus, we market to the entirety of the diaspora market and the other large international markets. So, of course, that includes the US, UK, Canada, but we also market to the islands across the Caribbean and several parts of Europe and Asia,” Goubault told The Gleaner.
“The focus is really drawing people in with Jamaica’s tourism strengths for a bigger, better carnival,” he added.
Goubault’s sentiments seems to fall in line with what is expressed by international revellers on the ground.
The Gleaner caught up with Karen Johnson, a now retired banker from the US, who shared that carnival in Jamaica provides an opportunity for her to enjoy the island to the fullest.
“I think Brand Jamaica is too strong of a namesake to not take full advantage of. And that’s why I keep coming to carnival here. The beaches, the food, the music ... all of that comes together to make a great carnival experience for me,” she said.
ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE
Carnival in Jamaica continues to be a major foreign income earner for the island.
According to Goubault, Jamaica brought in about $4.5 billion for the carnival season last year, and he’s expecting more earnings for the 2025 season.
“I think we will see an increase of about 10 per cent, so closer to $5 billion for this year. But we would have to wait until the numbers come through,” the CEO said.
With earnings like this, it’s easy to understand why the right marketing is so important.
“For us at Xodus, we don’t just sell just costumes. We also try to sell hotel packages, we sell the nightlife experience, and we sell our dancehall music,” Goubault said.
All in all, Jamaica remains the main beneficiary of the success of carnival in Jamaica 2025. And, with the diverse audience the event managed to bring in, it was able to live up to the island’s motto, ‘Out of Many, One People’.
“I’m hoping everyone had a great experience, and we are looking for an even better experience next year. We are a band [that is] always listening and improving ... and we will continue to do so for as long as we’re around,” Goubault told The Gleaner.
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