Tuesday 28 May 2013

As Port Douglas reviews Carnivale 2013, feedback from local traders suggests there’s still room for improvement.

Now in its 19th year, Carnivale is considered one of Australia’s top festivals and one of Far North Queensland’s most popular events. An estimated 20,000 people from the region, around Australia, and overseas descend on Port, with the Mossman Street Parade alone attracting around 10,000. 

It’s a major boost for the Douglas Shire; the event provides millions in economic benefit. While organisers are still calculating exact figures for this year's event, the Port Douglas Chamber of Commerce reported the 2011 Carnivale exceeded $1.5 million. 

Todd Walker, manager of The Parrotfish Lodge, said it’s a chance to put local businesses in the spotlight.

“It promotes us for other people that live close to the region,” he said, "when they come down, they see that they can actually come and do something important, which is good.”

“Friday [May 17] was really busy for us, with the street parade, but obviously, Food and Wine sort of dropped sales back a little bit,” said Ping Gibbcheng, Rattle and Hum’s duty manager.

Carnivale '13 involved 30 events spread out over 10 days, showcasing the region’s food, wine, and community spirit. Originally held over one weekend to celebrate the Clipper Cup yacht race and start of the Port Douglas season, Carnivale changed to the longer format several years ago, to accommodate a growing list of events.

Organisers tweaked the program again a couple of years ago, with Carnivale manager Ken Dobbs saying in a 2011 Port Douglas Chamber of Commerce report that the festival had come of age, and changes were based on feedback from event managers and stakeholders.

“The program is being restructured to cater for both the local community and for visitors who want to fly in to attend the festival. Visitors will travel from southern states for 5-7 days to attend events covered in the food and wine festival part of the program and holiday in the region while locals have the option of attending the whole spectrum of events in the program, so it makes sense to create a distinction and promote these different aspects,” Mr. Dobbs said in the report.

Though according to some local traders, more needs to be done.

“I think it's good that people actually hear about Port Douglas and come up for the week, which is nice, but it's not as big as it used to be. I think they need to put on more events, and get more people involved,” said Ms. Gibcheng.

Thor Stovell, owner of Macrossan Street business PD Bikeworks, said Carnivale’s great for the region, but it could be done better. Mr. Stovell would rather see Carnivale go back to being one big weekend celebration, with better management and increased security to avoid potential trouble. He said the recent event was quieter than in previous years, with former drawcards like singer Kate Cebrano replaced by less-than-prestigious ‘celebrities’.

Mr. Stovell suggested promoters focus on fun, “Carnivale - the word itself means ‘party’!” he said.  

Jannette Walker, owner of Macrossan Street fashion boutique Jungle Road, said business was booming over Carnivale’s first weekend, "but come Monday, Port Douglas was like a ghost town."

Ms. Walker speculated the overall level of trade was partly due to economic and political insecurity. She said with so many things to see and do, visiting consumers had to be selective with when they visited, and where their dollar went. As a result, spending in the retail sector was down.

Ms. Walker’s comments come as the Australian retail sector continues to experience a severe downturn, with high-profile fashion labels Lisa Ho and Bettina Liano entering voluntary administration earlier this year.