Miami Carnival Makes Impact on South Florida Economy – NBC 6 South Florida

Colorful wings, glittery costumes and soca music will soon be in the air, as the heart and soul of Caribbean carnival steps off at the Miami Dade County Fair and Expo Center. 

The annual event brings thousands of people together and pumps millions of dollars into the local economy.

“The direct impact of this is really great,” said Connie Kinnard, Vice President of Multicultural Tourism and Development for the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s definitely in the millions of dollars and that’s why we look forward to it being here every year.”

According to Kinnard, the increase in spending comes from a variety of costs associated with carnival including ticket packages, spending with vendors on site, local restaurants, shopping and more.

“The hotels pick up,” said Kinnard. “Rental cars are picked up.”

Miami Carnival is entering its 38th year in South Florida with events for the whole family. 

“If we took it out of the equation, and we didn’t have Miami Carnival as one of our diverse events, there would definitely be a void, especially in the size and the scope of the event,” said Kinnard. “There are a lot of events smaller that we do with the community, which is great. But of this size? It’s definitely important, so we are glad it’s continued on here.”

The event spans over the 3-day Columbus, or Indigenous Peoples Day, weekend — and the financial footprint extends into Broward County. 

“If they’re coming to Miami, they’ll go back and forth to Broward, said Kinnard. “It is a wonderful cultural event for this destination of greater South Florida.”