Dominica has recorded over 30 percent increase in stay over arrivals for Carnival 2014 as compared to 2013, Minister for Tourism and Urban Renewal, Senator Robert Tonge, has revealed.
“Our data reveals in 2014 that there was a 33.8 percent increase in stay over arrivals for Carnival over 2013,” he stated at the official launch of Carnival 2015 on Wednesday. “There were 4,181 persons who stayed for the week leading up to carnival, which represented 20 percent of our first quarter of visitor arrivals. So we are improving.”
He noted that the annual event is contributing positively to the country’s development.
“The government of Dominica recognizes the great value that Carnival and the role it plays in generating much needed foreign exchange, creating jobs for large numbers of people, bringing about greater social cohesion and unity,” Tonge said.
The newly appointed minister is encouraging the populace to treat visitors to the island as customers.
“We have to see every one as a customer coming into Dominica,” he noted. “So from the time they arrive at the airport or the port our custom officers, our immigration officers, our taxi people, the hotels, we have to treat these people with excellent customer service. That is very important for us. So I, therefore, implore every citizen to play their part in helping the DFC (Dominica Festivals Committee) and its stakeholders in creating the most exciting mass Dominique program.”
Tonge noted that as “we mark the start of the 2015 Carnival season; let it be in the spirit of togetherness, great taste and a great sense of pride.”
“Let us salute those who have blazed the Carnival trail and once more congratulate the high achievers from the 2014 season,” he noted.
Minister for Culture, Sports, Youth and Constituency Empowerment Justina Charles, who also addressed the launch, said that Carnival “must be seen as promoting unity, love, peace, understanding, and forgiveness; freedom of expression and exploration and creativity.”
“It must be seen as promoting economic activity, enhancing our tourism product, and marketing our nature isle,” she stated. “We must be innovative, we must pay attention to standards, presentations and costumes in order to raise the standard of our carnival and to create export ready products.”
Street jump up for Carnival 2015 will be held on February 16 and 17.
Ole Mass Festival will be held in Delices.
The theme for Carnival is “Se Lavi Nou” or It’s our life.
Below is a preview of costumes to expect for Carnival 2015.
Would have love to see representations of our original costumes, since we market our Carnival as ‘original Mas’.
I think that the carnival committee or whoever is responsible should really look at the dates. Christmas comes and goes then January which is the longest and hardest month financially comes along. You get paid in January whilst financial recovery is still taking place and before you know it, carnival is here.
Perhaps the organisers should consider having carnival after the second month’s pay and keep it this way. This is a time where people spend money, so how are they to sirens money they don’t have just after picking themselves from the lavish Christmas spending. I think that these dates, the 16th and 17th, left on their own is of little significance but put into context of the the biggest party on the island then you see. A considerable amount of foreigners won’t be able to make it, lost revenue add a result, a considerable amount of locals don’t get paid, again lost revenue which will have a most devastating effect on local business and on the country’s ability to earn.
Simply by changing the dates to month end after most people get paid, because do remember, the foreigners do get paid at the end of the month too and they do have a hard January too, I do believe this would boost the local and national economy significantly.
Just a thought. Thank you
I read this book “Death by Fire” which talked about what Dominica’s Carnival really represented, in addition to the struggle men and women had to face a midst wide spread Elitism . I know times have changed but I believe there are aspects of our culture we should hold on to. I am not sure commercializing Carnival like the other Caribbean countries is the right move. Are we forgetting who we are as a people? How will the younger generation know where they came from, if we continue to allow globalization to infiltrate something as special as Carnival?
I would like to make a suggestion to the minister of tourism that
he embark on a promotion to Europe to negotiate with the travel agencies.
Create processes so that Europeans can see it interesting to visit dominica.,I have spoken to a few persons in Switzerland who mentioned that for them
Dominica is beautiful, but the access to the island is very challenging..
Secondly upon arrival there are no agents to handle their needs..
Thirdly the government should reach out to us in the Diaspora to assist us more with travel issues upon arrival to dominica.. I am willing to play my part, if the government is willing..
Most times Documentaries from Dominica are seen in Switzerland because it was transmitted from French TV channels (France)
this is possible when Journalists from France visits Guadeloupe and Martinique, including Doominica.
Still today like most others I need to explain my self even today in almost 2015 the difference between Dominica And the Dominica Republic..
Come on we can do better than this..
The government should consider a budget for TV advertising on European In which the natural beauty of dominica us hi lighted making it appealing for visitors to choose Dominica as their final holiday destination…
Another area which can be hi lighted and developed is a Naturist Club on the nature island this is becoming popular especially among Eutopeans
Please allow me to make a couple corrections.
To advertising on European TV
Popular especially among Europeans
great news for dominica ………keep it up
What is carnival?
It is an annual celebration of life found in many countries of the world. And in fact, by learning more about carnival we can learn more about ourselves and a lot about accepting and understanding other cultures.
Where did the word “carnival” come from?
Hundred and hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before the first day of Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, carnevale — which means “to put away the meat.” As time passed, carnivals in Italy became quite famous; and in fact the practice spread to France, Spain, and all the Catholic countries in Europe. Then as the French, Spanish, and Portuguese began to take control of the Americas and other parts of the world, they brought with them their tradition of celebrating carnival.
The dynamic economic and political history of the Caribbean are indeed the ingredients of festival arts as we find them today throughout the African and Caribbean Diaspora. Once Columbus had steered his boat through Caribbean waters, it was only a few hundred years before the slave trade was well established. By the early 19th century, some six million slaves had been brought to the Caribbean. Between 1836 and 1917, indentured workers from Europe, west and central Africa, southern China, and India were brought to the Caribbean as laborers.
African influences on carnival traditions
Important to Caribbean festival arts are the ancient African traditions of parading and moving in circles through villages in costumes and masks. Circling villages was believed to bring good fortune, to heal problems, and chill out angry relatives who had died and passed into the next world. Carnival traditions also borrow from the African tradition of putting together natural objects (bones, grasses, beads, shells, fabric) to create a piece of sculpture, a mask, or costume — with each object or combination of objects representing a certain idea or spiritual force.
Feathers were frequently used by Africans in their motherland on masks and headdresses as a symbol of our ability as humans to rise above problems, pains, heartbreaks, illness — to travel to another world to be reborn and to grow spiritually. Today, we see feathers used in many, many forms in creating carnival costumes.
African dance and music traditions transformed the early carnival celebrations in the Americas, as African drum rhythms, large puppets, stick fighters, and stilt dancers began to make their appearances in the carnival festivities.
In many parts of the world, where Catholic Europeans set up colonies and entered into the slave trade, carnival took root. Brazil, once a Portuguese colony, is famous for its carnival, as is Mardi Gras in Louisiana (where African-Americans mixed with French settlers and Native Americans). Carnival celebrations are now found throughout the Caribbean in Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, Dominica, Haiti, Cuba, St. Thomas, St. Marten; in Central and South America in Belize, Panama, Brazil; and in large cities in Canada and the U.S. where Caribbean people have settled, including Brooklyn, Miami, and Toronto. Even San Francisco has a carnival!
Today, many women expose themselves in the streets , even going as far as revealing their private parts taking away the true meaning of the African tradition.
The visitors would come in even larger numbers if the connecting flights to DA did not bleed them financially. Flight to Puerto Rico at $279 but by the time final destination (DA) is plugged in, fare jumps to $1005. I mean seriously? Vegas, Nassau, even London, come in under that cost with hotel. C’mon man!
You are so right.this as well needs to be re-evaluated. From Europe -dominica is so expensive,mi wonder what we paying for .,if is for the hours we at sitting in the aircraft or to reach the destination.. Never the less it is way too expensive and something needs to be done. We need to understand exactly why the price of a flight ticket to dominica from Europe is so high.. And also if there is something we can do to reduce the price and when
To Teresa.
Hello and good morning my people. Hi you are correct to a point but that’s only if you wait to purchase your ticket. I purchase my ticket in November from New York City for just over half of what you document. I have more problem securing a SUV rental than getting a good price ticket. You must shop early and compare the prices to get a good deal because late shoppers pay more.
So far, the new Minister, Tonge, appears to be a DLP Government Minister qui ka twavay. You have become very popular since you became Minister of Tourism. Be careful you don’t over shadow El Suprimo, because you might find yourself in another Ministry, before you can shout jack rabbit. If you don’t believe me ask Ian.
You should be worrying who will be the opposition leader and even if your campaign was change is a must. Why change the young man and not allow him to grow and develop and instead put someone who will not be the leader in 5 years. UWP need someone to groom, someone who can truly challenge the PM. But again who? At least you can see the dynamic people on the government side and that itself says plenty about the PM.
The New Minister is just another joke in a long list of “JOKES” in Dominica. He is being referred to as a politician……..seriously? He has not campaigned one day and suddenly is a politician. He got a payback job ok……..lets just be real about these things and how they work. There are so many people with years of Tourism expertise who if you were having a senator just to be Tourism minister could have taken the mantle, but no……for crying out loud, Robbie Tonge stupes.
I would like to make a suggestion. . I suggest that certain persons of certain body proportions don’t wear certain costumes, even though it looking good. Some costumes are not and I repeat not for everyone. Even if its a carnival. It’s not a clown show. Wear the costume that fits you best….
To Zuma.
Hello and good morning my people. Well can you please tell us who are you referring to In regards to the costumes depicted in the photos. I hope that you look better in a costume.
And allu now reporting that? Boy allu not easy.
Because they making the data up now – that’s why! So long Carnival 2014 close… How comes that never came up!