Dominica Freedom Party statement on withdrawal of Carnival Victory from Dominica

Carnival Victory. * Photo credit: 4seasonstvl.com/southern_caribbean_cruise.htm

The Dominica Freedom Party is alarmed at the announcement that Carnival Victory will be ending its calls to Dominica  in November this year. It is concerned at the negative impact that this will have not only on the tourism sector but more particularly on  the many persons who depend exclusively on the cruise tourism industry for their economic survival.

In the wake of this development, the Dominica Freedom Party calls on government to  stop paying lip service to tourism and take immediate action to develop stay over tourism.  For the past 20 years, we have sat back and relied on cruise tourism as the sole catalyst for foreign exchange generation.  This continues to be a dangerous and non-sustainable approach towards tourism development.

The government through the Ministry of Tourism and more importantly through the Discover Dominica Authority must  undertake an aggressive marketing campaign to attract additional  stay over tourists  to Dominica.  Tourism officials must place greater emphasis on the quality of our product – destination Dominica,  so that the total visitor experience is enhanced.  This means additional air access,  promotional campaigns, improved customer service, higher standards of excellence, a cleaner environment, a better road infrastructure leading to our main tourist attractions, more indigenous souvenir products, improved safety for locals and tourists alike and an even closer private public sector collaboration so that all stakeholders are involved in the process.

While cruise visitors outnumber stay over tourists, it is obvious that more needs to be done to retain and build on our share of the cruise and stay-over markets. This can only be achieved when we honestly admit that while numbers count they cannot be used to paint the wrong picture or be used to avoid the basic ingredients that are required for sustained and profitable growth from the tourism industry.


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26 Comments

  1. khaki
    September 3, 2010

    I must agree with some of the comments made about the tourist cruise line pulling out of Dominica.I have been traveling quite a bit around the globe, and I have heard other tourist telling their friends, please don’t go to the Island of Dominica. Some of the comments made were, “That little Island where people are living in little huts close to the river!” I have also heard comments like “that’s a very poor place and I’ll never go back there.” Mark you, that was since 1990. So I’m not surprised at all to hear the news about the withdrawal. I must also say, as a true Dominican, I am very disappointed with the type of customer service Dominica offers. I have had some bad personal experiences with the way in which some of the services are provided, again I would not be surprised the way foreigners are treated. I guarantee their will be more tourist cruise line pulling out of Dominica.
    I will not comment on what needs to be done to change what’s happening, because everyone is too busy trying to get what they can, therefore,they have no time to listen. One of the remedies to Dominica’s progress, is going back to the basics (Agriculture) too many of our young people are sitting in front of a computer and refuse to get their hands dirty.( This is my little two sense for today)

  2. Concerned
    September 2, 2010

    May the good Lord help us and see that Dominica is ours to build and that we will do what is necessary.

  3. Creative
    September 1, 2010

    JOKES is so right. We seem to think that tourism is only promoting Dominica as a Nature isle, full of greenery, fresh water and natural things. We need to present the whole package: clean environments, proper roads, adequate lighting, hospitable people, presentable businesses, vendors and people providing service to the public need to meet certain guidelines and standards( I mean the people cooking and selling in the market and in all the little shops and businesses around the sites and attractions in Dominica), proper dress, clean practises when handling food, the environment in which they cook and prepare food, even if is outside need to be monitored and be proper. Taxi drivers and tour guides need to have standards which are followed and kept up. The roads to our sites need much improvement, too many pot holes for the taxis carrying the tourist to fall into.
    Roseau need a complete face lift, a little paint some places, rebuilding and repairing some of the old building, cleaning the gutters on a regular basis, placing garbage cans all around to discourage littering, proper garbage disposal, mass education of the people to encourage cleanliness, good customer service in every service provided, If each person cleans the area around their property and keep it that way, it would make a big difference. Some people may need some help with finances to improve the look of their houses, there should be a program for that. There is a lot of money being wasted on other things that tax payers have no benefit from. Each case should be looked at on a case by case basis, and the help or concession considered. Any improvement will benefit Dominica as a whole.
    I doubt very much that it is fuel cost that is behind this cruise line not making calls to Dominica after November. Everything happens for a reason, and this is the time to look at the other possibilities and reasons and work on improvement. If we get other cruise lines to come in, but we don’t change anything, they will leave too. Let us build our self up in every possible way, since tourism is everybody’s business. Ian Douglas and the rest of the crew, put on your thinking caps, look around and see what Dominica needs to do to attract tourist on one day, short stay, or long stay basis.

  4. Ryon
    September 1, 2010

    @August Christopher: for real, I never see Garraway hotel have anything, Judith needs to uplift the hotel, it has potential.

  5. Ryon
    September 1, 2010

    All we have to do is to improve our Tourism product and try to make our stalls attractive, we don’t have to wait on the Government to do anything. We should rely mainly on agriculture. Dominica has the best Eco Tourism Product out there and is highly rated over many countries who sell a readymade replica of what we have in abundance. We should build on industry and self sustainance .

    The government is not to be blamed, they’re trying their best.

  6. Gary
    September 1, 2010

    @wow:

    Why are you telling this story. You stood there and said nothing in defense of your country, Shame on you. This was an opportunity to educate these people about the uniqueness of the country. You stood there and accepted the ignorance portrayed by them of your country and said nothing, What is the purpose of you reveling such story, well i guess you have the same felling about you country and somebody reinforced it for you, shame.

  7. true dominica
    September 1, 2010

    look were the price of a ticket to da from any caribbean island is more than a ticket from babados to canada liat is killing dominica with the prices because we are trying to do the same thing that they are doing (tourisim) and liat is antigua now to get from trinidad to dominica you need to go to antigua that makes the ticket much more expensive food for thought thank so government need to subsidise the air ticket like what babados does because antigua is not going to make it easy for us to take what they are depeding on

  8. Gary
    September 1, 2010

    @jOKES:

    Why are you so quick to portray your country in such a manner, is that all you can say about your country. I had the opportunity to work in the Cruise Ship Industry and the privilege to visit many countries throughout the world, what makes you think we are the worst and the things you describe are only relative to Dominica and that we do not deserve having a vibrant Tourism Industry. What makes you feel Roseau is one of the smallest towns in the world, why do you believe this to be true. Have you been to other Islands and see some of the Cities and towns. You made a statement quote “the main place of economic activity can be fed to swine and look like one of the poorest and dirtiest places on earth” I do not think that is a fair statement made by you describing Roseau

    Our country is not perfect, we do have short falls but tell me a country out there which does not have any short falls. Why is it you always calling on the government to do this and do that, well what are you doing, criticizing and finding faults, is that the best you can do. I will leave you with this, If you have no will to change it, you have no right to criticize it. .

  9. September 1, 2010

    I said it before and I am going to say it again, unless Dominicans can stop thinking of becoming rich overnight, and to come together to make Roseau look like a welcoming city, it won’t matter if all the tourist ships of the world should launch in Dominica everyday, that will make no difference to the problems we now facing.

    The people on board the ships are simply human beings who relate to cleanliness, and orderly environment, starting with their stay on board the ship itself. They admire beauty, peace, and melancholy. That is what most people who take a vacation are searching for. Situations or an atmosphere that will give them peace and relaxation of their mind, at least for a period of time. They do not find that in Roseau, which represents the face of Dominica, and they will turn away, never to return.

    I am from Dominica, I love my homeland, but having lived and travelled around Ontario, Canada, for 36 years, I see nothing that attracts tourists in Roseau. The clumsiness of vendors on the sidewalks is an eye bleeding sight for sure; not to mention the contents that most of the people are selling.

    I wish that those in authority would contemplate on the objectives of the commentator named Jokes. That person has really spoken great truths. And his/her observation really needs to be taken seriously. Two, three, or four other ships to replace the one which has cancelled it destination to Dominica will not change anything, if we do not fix up the physical nastiness and disorderly that make up the face of Roseau.

    In case some of you have not noticed, just take a walk on the other side of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and behind a hut that is build there for those who want to drink their beers and rum. I just wanted to stand there to enjoy the breeze of the Roseau River, just like I would do in a park of Toronto, where there was a large enough running brook. The of stench of the breeze that filled my nostril, behind that rum-drinking hut, instantly gave me splitting headache. I had to run off, before I choked on my own breath, because that stench took me by surprise. Imagine what people who lived in a clean surrounding all of the lives would say about encountering a situation like that..

    Another thing that we should be aware of is that even if the tourist ship launch in Dominica, many people stay on board. It is quite possible that those people who stay on board are on that ship again, but stay away from what they previously encountered through the face of Dominica.

    Yes, Wow is speaking the truth. The people from the ships do complain. I have read some of their complaints. One of those complaints is about our beaches and their environment. No privacy to dress and undress. No place to take a shower after the salt water swimming. No proper washroom or toilet facility to relief oneself of water or solid waste.

    I had to use the toilet of a rum-shop at a beautiful beach in Portsmouth, but the condition of that toilet was very uncomfortable. Those people who own those facilities are only concerned about selling their food and their rum. They do not care to invest money for the comfort of their customers..

    It seem as if we do not want to spend the money that will remove us from the lifestyle of the stone ages, but we expect that those who have moved on to the next level, will accept our clumsy and distasteful lifestyle in exchange for their hard-working money.

    The biggest setback is that not all of those people are rich, but they use what they have for personal comfort. The way we are going on now, in Dominica, we are not selling comfort to those who chose to visit with us; they do want to pay for our stone-ages chosen lifestyle.

  10. john bess
    September 1, 2010

    one go,many more to go,skerrit, shame on you ,no negotiating skills,i don’t understand why these people so stickup to skerritt,i am going away to Antigua until a next government takes over.labour cant run de country give it workers party.heh heh,skerro call back de ship.

  11. TRUE
    September 1, 2010

    Very well said Pestaina..I Wish those who are leaking us had the courage to learn a little from what you wrote..However you know just as well as i do,that these people are not leaders, but incompetent jokers…If we are not careful the entire economy will collapse under their leadership,,

  12. wow
    September 1, 2010

    Hi I’m from Dominica but live and work in St.kitts,on a popular beach where all the tourists goes to.I recently overheard some tourists talking to some other tourists about their experience in Dominica.
    Their number one complain was the BLACK SAND BEACH that they were taken to.it was a first for them seeing a black sand beach! And how nasty it looked,(the sand) they even went as far as telling their ”new friends” that they had to use their towels to get that black thing off their feet,which they then left the towel on the beach.that among many other complaints they had about Dominica.They even went as far as saying they don’t recommend Dominica and tell all their friends to not go there!
    ohhhhh they even said Dominica looks ”POOR”.

  13. Queen Natty
    September 1, 2010

    I am so tied of reading all this garbage . We as Dominicans we no exactly whats going on. this has a lot do with who is leading Dominica.first the ship stop going to Antigua because of the murder of one of the ship tourist ,then here comes ST.Lucia the crime rate is to high,now hey Dominica. what do we have, well we do not have a lot of crimes, we did not kill no tourist so what it is because of our Government dealing with communist countries and communist dealing.

    So we can stay here and blame Carnival, blame freedom party,blame UWP.blame how small our town is or how it is not clean ,please that is just BS.I went on a cruise on that same Carnival and if u want to see small towns go to ST.Kites and u will see. so tell our Government clean up their act ,before we come like Cuba with embargo and blacklist damaging Dominica and Dominicans.

    what they gain already for the little time they in power,take it and satisfied. and please if they say forward we go why do I feel like Dominica is a prostitute . we will take anything for something.and it is time we stop dreaming and open our eye.I love the PM.but it is time he face God and be true to our people.

  14. lo
    September 1, 2010

    JUDITH……STUPESSSSSSSSS!

  15. BIRDIE
    September 1, 2010

    Juideth you have no say FREEDOM( more) dead no more freedom boso and sabroach and the rest finish is uwp all you are not freedom the real freedomites are in labour sot kie zot yea.

  16. September 1, 2010

    @jOKES: Nothing but the truth. A prideless people.

  17. mango jim
    September 1, 2010

    Uh, okay Judith, we’ll just waive a magic wand and make all that happen then.
    I think it’s a bit bizarre for you to try to score political points from this. You’ll be blaming the hurricane season on Skerrit next. (Maybe I shouldn’t have said that; it may give you another bright idea.)

  18. nature
    September 1, 2010

    to jokes lol the pm from the country what you expect and again i agree with you but if you watch county people have bigger and better houses that town all town ppl buying land in country and out of the town wonder why? you cannot breath fresh air in town

  19. Neutral
    September 1, 2010

    Once again people let us not make this a political issue, instead all stakeholders in the tourism sector should make a concerted effort to replace the income generated by Victory. It would be nice to see a commercial on North American or European TV inviting one to come to the Nature Island. Stay over touristism would generate more foreign exchange than that generated by that of the cruise ships.

  20. 100percent Dominican
    September 1, 2010

    So true.
    Typical
    We rather a french pm than a Dominican

    We rather spend our $ to promote foreign cruise ships, and
    than local investors.

  21. nature
    September 1, 2010

    question pp carnival cruise line is consist of many ships so are they saying that none of their ships will be coming to dominca or just the victory if that is the case well we in dominica f&#k

  22. jOKES
    September 1, 2010

    Oh… and all those new, first generation, clean, modern stores that are popping up on Cork Street need to be checked. Yes, those that specialize in shoes fixing etc. I mean, come on, you don’t want to take away someone’s bread, but this is the center of Roseau, one of the smallest towns in the world, and NOTHING better can be done to upgrade the fl&%$#ping place?

    Lagon is maybe the nastiness looking places in the whole of Dominica, the side walks sal sal sal, Spanish all over in ti kai making money. But, I guess people are too busy building their mansions and villas in the country side, so Roseau, the main place of economic activity can be fed to swine and look like one of the poorest and dirtiest places on earth.
    Oh yeah, forget Roseau, step out of your pajero, walk into your AC office and generate millions in real estate out of town. Oh yes, FORWARD WE GO! Who gives a f%$#?

    Oh… and because we have nature, the Nature Island of the World, the concept of landscaping is inexistent and absolutely irrelevant. Bush on veranda, bush on road, people not cleaning in front of their houses if government does not do it, gutters in front people’s houses are blocked with bush because they do not know about cocoye broom or to pay paro $10 to clean it, so zeb, zeb, zeb, all over the place; it’s nature right? True dat.

    I just want to vomit when I think of these things. Because this is not nature, it is just plain, simple nastiness!

    And we wonder why the ship is not returning. Sets of hypocrites, we know exactly why.

  23. what????
    September 1, 2010

    Dominica have a freedom party?

  24. August Christopher
    September 1, 2010

    Are these People stupid or Lazy….

    The Carnival people can do as they please within reason/agreements of course.

    When Mamo was there was really happened….? she did not develop Melville Hall or Int’l airport, instead she chose canefield….

    Judith, use your connects to get the Hotel buzzing

  25. What ever
    September 1, 2010

    I haven’t read this, but how can one make a political mileage ‘statement’ on this na? I think there may be more to it than ‘asleep -at-the-wheel’ has told us, such as poor ‘business’ decision making abilities, not being proactive, and not applying flexiblility to this important account….but I think this statement may be pure political so I am not going to read it.
    What ever man.

  26. jOKES
    September 1, 2010

    The DDA or IDA or Ministry of Tourism need to get teams/guides/whatever early in the morning on the days that cruise arrive to setup/decorate/organise/clean the main locations that tourists are taken to, because the ‘Dominican’ service and food offered on the road will not be eaten by me a Dominican, so why should tourists pay their money to get this in the name of a nature experience?

    If it means getting prefabricated stalls that are well painted, designed, and leased for a $1 a day, and then moved from the area after, then so be it. How the H%$** are we going to achieve things if we are not willing to WORK at the right things and just keep boring people with long speeches and intentions, intentions, intentions? Do this, do that, do this, do that, and nothing is done. No follow up, no supervision, no STANDARDS.

    There are people roasting plantain and breadfruit on dirty black coal pots that I as a Dominica would NEVER use in my own home (my coal pot is clean). And any old galvanize thing with wood is a stall. The people teeth not brushed, they sweating, they wearing old jeans and slippers, their feet have mud, all their personal effects are all over inside the stalls, empty soft drink bottles… just name it.

    If this is what we are calling nature tourism we need to come better than that because it seems to me that the line between nature tourism and nastiness with a lack of standards is very thin.

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