Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis says this year’s Carnival visitors spent a total of $318 million.

However, Minister Robinson-Regis there was a decline in visitor arrivals from 2017 to 2018.

Minister Robinson-Regis, the total visitor arrivals to Trinidad and Tobago were 33,873 persons, with Trinidad recording 31,877 and Tobago 1,996 for the period under review.

The Minister says when compared with the Carnival period for 2017 data showed a 3,575 or 9.5 per cent decrease in visitor arrivals to Trinidad and Tobago.

A statement from the Ministry of Planning said the information is based on administrative data received from the Immigration Division of the Ministry of National Security as well as data collected by the CSO in February 2018 for the survey of departing visitors.

The Ministry noted that visitor arrivals for the Carnival period consist of the 19 days prior to the Carnival celebration including Carnival Monday and Tuesday. Data on visitor arrivals were monitored from January 26 to February 13.