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Carnival 2004 promises to be one of the best ever, and already scores of revellers, many of whom had been to a rash of fetes last night, as well as old mas’ bands would have been already playing mas’ by the time you read this Editorial. Visitors from overseas, including nationals living abroad who have come in from the cold to enjoy the mas’, promise to make this a bumper year for Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival tourism. Although the latest figures on arrivals, whether by air or sea, have not yet been provided by the Tourism and Industrial Development Company (TIDCO) it does seem that the highest number of visitors have come in this year for the Carnival since the economic slide began in the United States four years ago.

Hotels and guest houses do not appear to have been hurt by the adverse publicity generated by the recent outrageous move by Barbados not only to have their fishermen operate without hindrance in Tobago waters, but for that country to gain control of large areas of oil and natural gas reserves off the East coast of Trinidad as well. Indeed most of the hotels and guest houses are filled with overseas visitors, some of them Barbadians, with the spillover going to private homes. Meanwhile, the accent by the Protective Services has been on security for visitors and residents alike for the Carnival, with stepped up patrols of police officers and soldiers along routes to be taken by bands in Port-of-Spain, San Fernando, Chaguanas, Point Fortin, Arima, Princes Town as well as along otherwise heavily trafficked routes in these areas. In addition, police officers and soldiers are maintaining a keen lookout at main entry points into Port-of-Spain, San Fernando Chaguanas et cetera, for example Port of Spain’s City Gate, and are prepared to search persons acting in a suspicious manner. The pre-emptive tactics are precautionary measures designed to increase both security and a sense of security among the tens of thousands of visitors and residents who will either be taking an active part in the celebrations or merely taking in the bands and music.

It is a repeat of the highly successful strategy employed during last year’s Carnival by the Protective Services which, in turn, began implementing several of last year’s security measures as an ongoing programme from as early as the 2003 Christmas season. The Ministry of National Security is determined that masqueraders and onlookers be allowed to enjoy the Carnival free of the violence which has plagued Carnivals around the world. Today’s Jour Ouvert celebrations will see the country’s steelbands, many of which featured in the pre-Carnival Panorama competitions held mainly at the Queen’s Park Savannah, once again showing their talents, this time along routes running for several miles. Meanwhile, several streets in Port-of-Spain, St James, San Juan, Curepe, Tunapuna, Arouca, Arima, Sangre Grande, Chaguanas, Couva, Freeport, San Fernando, Fyzabad, Siparia, Penal, Point Fortin, La Brea as well as Scarborough and other areas in Tobago will be closed to vehicular traffic for specified hours today, as per published advertisements in Newsday, to prevent congestion and facilitate the smooth flow of bands and onlookers.