Prime Minister Mia Mottley addressing the crowd gathered for the CARIFESTA XV closing ceremony at the Richard Stoute Amphitheatre. Photo: JM

“We are going to ensure that you are onboarded on Caribbean marketplace,” Mottley said during the closing ceremony at the Richard Stoute Amphitheatre.

“There will be an electronic marketplace where every vendor registered at the Grand Market can sell their products, not just to the rest of the region who did not come to CARIFESTA, but to the rest of the world.”

The Government of Barbados will fund the first year of onboarding costs for all vendors, covering setup fees and allowing small entrepreneurs to enter the digital market at no expense. Mottley described the initiative as essential for turning the festival’s exposure into a long-term opportunity.

“This is about ensuring that our work and our products are not a thing of the past,” she said. “If we talk about the orange economy and we talk about the creative industries, then our people must benefit from it.”

The marketplace will allow craftspeople, designers and cultural vendors to showcase goods such as handmade jewellery, indigenous textiles, Caribbean fashion, and culinary products that attracted thousands during the ten-day festival.

“Christmas is coming,” Mottley added, urging buyers to support the initiative once it goes live. “You will have an abundance, and I want to salute our vendors for the quality of workmanship they displayed.”

The move responds to calls from cultural economists who have long argued that CARIFESTA must evolve beyond a cultural showcase into an engine for sustainable industries. By digitising access, officials hope to strengthen the creative economy as a pillar of growth across the Caribbean.

For many artisans, who are micro to small entrepreneurs, the new platform represents their first opportunity to reach global markets. The hope is that vendors who typically depend on seasonal events will gain year-round visibility to regional diasporas and international customers.

Mottley said the project was part of a broader strategy to bolster economic resilience while showcasing cultural identity.

It is hoped that the platform will be launched in the coming months, with the first wave of vendors added before the holiday season.

Mottley earmarked this initiative as a legacy of CARIFESTA XV, ensuring that the creativity celebrated during the festival continues to generate livelihoods across the region.