Vybz Kartel concert’s economic impact under review
The economic impact of the recent Vybz Kartel concert in the Virgin Islands is still being assessed, according to Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, who said the event brought “significant economic activity” to the territory.
While no official figures have been released, Dr Wheatley said efforts were underway to collect information from the public and private sectors, adding that his administration intends to present findings at a later date.
“We are beginning the process of analysing its economic impact and will provide an update in due course,” he stated. “For now, I’m confident that the hotels, rental car companies, vendors, restaurants, ferries, taxis, gas stations, clothing stores, salons, and barber shops are happy with the outcome.”
The concert, hosted by YOLO Promotions, was headlined by Jamaican dancehall artisete Vybz Kartel. According to the Premier, it drew a large crowd and generated interest locally and abroad.
“It was an amazing event in which Vybz Kartel and other artists entertained thousands of fans who came to the territory for the show,” he said. “The show undoubtedly generated significant economic activity and stimulated the economy.”
Consultant to be engaged
Dr Wheatley said the government is seeking help from the concert promoter and public officers to gather supporting data. “The promoter himself committed to providing some information. Perhaps we’ll see things like surveys and interviews being done with business owners, etcetera,” he explained.
He added that a more structured evaluation approach may be introduced.
“Moving forward, I want to have a much more kind of formal process of analysing the data—something that I perhaps maybe would get a consultant to look at for me, especially leading up to the August festival,” he said.
Premier Wheatley also defended his government’s financial contribution to support the event, arguing that even modest visitor spending could have offset the investment. “The $200,000, of course, is a significant amount of money. But if you have just 2,000 persons spend $100, that’s $200,000,” he said. “One person told me when they came to the Vybz Kartel concert that they spent $4,000.”
The Premier said the concert helped market the territory to a global audience. “This show was streamed throughout the whole world… The type of benefit you have gotten from that marketing you couldn’t pay for,” he said.
Although no timeline was given for when the final analysis will be released, Dr Wheatley said the initiative reflects a broader strategy to boost economic activity through entertainment. “We have environmental levy, we have departure tax, we have hotel accommodation tax, we have the rental car companies have to pay a tax. Everybody pays payroll tax, Social Security, NHI,” he added.
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watch them do some funny math. tourism ad conversion rate is 20%, with 4 million views on streaming platforms and social media so we can anticipate 800k visitors from this exposure. so even though we did not make back our investment it will come back in visits. it’s not like they had official sponsorship and rate codes for hotels, restaurants, transportation services etc in place so they could more accurately account for the economic impact.
Magic tricks using hallucinations is more like it. S!0wW@nde need to resign as Minister of Finance because he is terrible with math
Sl**ande should not be holding the Financial Portfolio. I said it when his ex boss was holding it but no one listened.
Vybz would have probably done it for $50K
ayo wait…..
Who gonna pay back Pressure for being robber after he set? He will never want to come back to Tola again.
Hear the dumminess bout people spend $4k for this ghetto vibes show! He mean Jamaican dollars?
How you doing evening assessment when we can’t get the report on the Nonstop (Big Flop) Concert? Still can’t get the report on the Music Lesstival! And the field can’t get cleared yet for this Crimes Kartel show? No reports and a bunch of bills outstanding but this guy talking about economic impact.
We are really a set of dummies in this place or at least he thinks so!
Vybz Kartel will have social impact not economic impact, the youths will be brazen to engage in crime having had an Andrew fahie and now a natalio Wheatley who pays criminal gangsters $250k of tax payers money to gyrate and sing poetry, and violent one at that while road and hospitals need that fund.
Well said.
The only thing I care about is that public funds aren’t used again. Yolo promotions should be set now and not need any more handouts. And if hand outs are available, I was talking to an promoter from yesteryear and we may take a shot at a show ourselves since government is giving quarter millions away for shows. If they gave to Yolo then they should give to all promoters.
When is the next stage show? I can’t wait, hurry up and make the plans, I’ve been to three so far and enjoy myself, need to have one every month. Hurry up,Beres Hammond is a good one
real nice marketing
Still waiting on the figures from premier’s music fest, I think he is hoping we will forget about that.
How about Steve reviews everybody he allegedly owes money to, and pay each accordingly from what he made from this event?
Just tell us about the waste money you spend on that last show last year. Then bring last August carnival expenditures.You really think we are idiots.
pressure being robbed took all that away in negative press I am surprised it was not a headline and not surprised. Appearances matter more than truth around here.
Should be ashamed to be asking people for donations. In the future, plan your events a year in advance so you don’t have to be begging for donations.
That’s Small talk he deserves to the people for the money I understand clearly he is telling the people of the BVI we are jackass’s
The Premier love and is more comfortable hanging around low class people? Birds of a feather roost together. The Premier is low class as well.
Not condoning him being robbed but Virgin Island man dont respect Pressure because he be trying to sound Jamaican in his music. Virgin Island artist should sound like Virgin artist. Yes Reggae started in Jamaica and all Reggae artists should pay homage to Jamaica for the beautiful artform that is Reggae but be original to where you’re from man. Rap started in N.Y. but you don’t see rappers from the west coast or down south trying to sound like New Yorkers. They took the artform, paid homage to N.Y. and made they own sound from it. They stay true to where they’re from. Pressure is a GREAT artist and is super talented. I just wish his would preform with his V.I. accent and not his fake Jamaican accent. Sorry he went through what he did; but again Virgin Island man don’t respect fake sh!t.
Fat ba**ard didn’t learn a dam thing in jail. Watch him wid de gun sigh same way. He looks utterly disgusting.