Notting Hill Carnival Strategic Review - Intelligent Space

Trinidad and Tobago and the United States, sharing their experiences and best practise in
terms of carnival aesthetics, economics, art, politics and culture. Prior to its demise, NHCT
was a member of the Foundation of European Carnival Cities (FECC), a pan-European body
dedicated to the promotion and preservation of carnivals. So great is the influence of the
Caribbean-style carnival that many of its key elements such as physical, cultural, social and
economic, are today universally accepted as the principal structures in many such celebrations
throughout the world.
4.62 The LDA study found that people travel from all over the world to attend the Carnival,
although it is still very much a London event. In 2002, 65 per cent of Carnival goers came
from London and of these, the overwhelming majority came from outside Kensington and
Chelsea (43% per cent) 104 . Internationally, 8 per cent of visitors to the Carnival came from
abroad, including 5 per cent from Europe. In relation to the availability of information to
overseas visitors about the Carnival, the study found that much more could be done to ensure
that Carnival information was distributed more widely to raise awareness about the event and
to assist overseas visitors to plan their stay.
4.63 Tourism destinations are built on the qualities, which give a place its own distinctive character
and separate it from other destinations. Factors such as lifestyle, heritage, cultural activities
and landscape constitute the basic tourism product of any destination. Cultural tourism offers
visitors and opportunity to experience, understand and appreciate the essential character of a
place and its culture as a whole. As a major festival, the Notting Hill Carnival has the potential
to positively contribute to the development of cultural tourism in London. The LDA study
found that 94 per cent 105 of the visitors questioned believed that the Carnival had become a
key event in London’s cultural life.
The Current Status
Funding Carnival
4.64 Until 2002, the Carnival organisers had been receiving core funding from three primary
sources: the ALG, Arts Council and RBKC 106 . In 2000, an analysis of income and expenditure
revealed that the level of income from grants had remained relatively constant over the last
ten years. Income from sponsorship however had increased by 829 per cent and accounted
for approximately 55.6 per cent of the Carnival organiser’s income whilst increased revenues
from the issue of street trading licenses accounted for approximately 15 per cent. For the
period ending 30 September 2000, NHCT – the Carnival organiser at the time - secured
income from its three principal funding sources (grants, sponsorship, street trading and
others) totalling £622,000 and these funds were used to cover the costs of core staffing, the
employment of approximately 200 stewards, office accommodation, administration,
operations and appearance fees to the Carnival bands. Since 2001, the GLA has provided
funding to support the Carnival stewarding operation. The vulnerability of this funding profile
and NHCT’s heavy reliance on sponsorship was clearly illustrated by the dramatic decline in
sponsorship revenue in the run up to Carnival 2001. There can be no doubt that the failure to
104
Only 10 per cent of Carnival spectators came from within Kensington and Chelsea. 12 per cent came from elsewhere in West London
(source: ‘The Economic Impact of the Notting Hill Carnival 2002: A Report for the London Development Agency’)
105
41 per cent ‘agreed’ and 53 per cent ‘agreed strongly’ with the statement that the Notting Hill Carnival was now a key event in
London’s cultural life.
106
In 2003, only RBKC provided LNHCL with any form of core funding.
155