Tonge reports increase in visitor arrivals for Carnival 2019

Tourism Minister, Senator Robert Tonge is reporting an increase in visitor arrivals for Mas Domnik 2019.

Tonge, who was addressing the final Carnival press conference for 2019 held at the Prevo Cinemall on Friday, said for the full period, the total number of visitors amounted to 2,723 – an increase of 146 percent.

“Before Carnival on Thursday, we had 391 persons coming to the Ferry Terminal. Friday we had 578 people coming to the Ferry [Terminal]. On Saturday, we had 614 coming through the ferry and Sunday we still had 431 people coming to the Ferry [Terminal],” he revealed. “If you look at Friday to Monday, in 2017, we had 793 people coming between Friday to Monday, in 2018 because of the Hurricane, we dropped slightly to 768 people…in 2019 from Friday to Monday, we got 1,762 people. That’s 122 percent increase…”

Tonge added, “If you look at the full period of Carnival, 2017 we got 1,610 people and these were visitors. In 2018 we had 1,109…and in 2019 we had 2,723 visitors, an increase of 146 percent.”

As it relates to stay over arrivals, CEO of Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) said that from a destination perspective, arrivals for the month of February showed an increase of about 69 percent over the same period in 2018, “slightly down over 2017, but up over 2016.”

“This follows an increase in January as well,” Piper stated. “I am happy to report that January through February visitor arrivals are up.”

He mentioned also that the staging of Carnival is a huge responsibility for the DDA who implement Carnival through the DFC.

He encouraged the masqueraders to continue to uphold the tradition and pass it along to the young people in the communities so that the tradition will live on.

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24 Comments

  1. carlty
    March 25, 2019

    I must say great job done. When I go skimming through youtube I see a lot of positive reviews from tourists from visitors coming to our island. Most of the reviews call it a hidden gem in the Caribbean. I see reviews where they say if persons are coming for nightlife, shopping etc, don’t go to Dominica, stay in the US. But if they are coming for a breath of fresh air, tranquillity and serenity, adventure, nature. Dominica is just the place. We need to promote it as such. And I must commend Tonge, I have seen an increase in the promotion of the nature island. But we all have to do our part as Dominicans. Tourism is all our business. Keep our country clean and green, treat the visitors with patience, compassion and respect and all in all promote a positive Dominica.

    • dee
      March 25, 2019

      Robert
      under 2000 visitors you talking about ? even wanting to beat your chest ,
      Man, St. Lucia gets that in one day, sometimes 7 days a week these days .
      Man who you think you can impress with those figures and percentages coming out of your mouth.
      Man you need to visit the other islands, but not on paid trips by the Dominican people .
      Allu too wicked tan

  2. d-a born
    March 25, 2019

    So no airport, no resorts, no actual development in the tourism sector but this guy is up here trying to brag about a couple thousand (mostly Dominicans) visitors for carnival…wow, D/A in a pothole, so sad

  3. little yout
    March 24, 2019

    Mister doh have no shame. worst minister of tourism ever!

  4. viewsexpressed
    March 24, 2019

    “Tonge reports increase in visitor arrivals for Carnival 2019…..” Tongue, either you shut up, lock your tongue in your mouth or start to address the high rise of unemployment, stress, poverty we now have in Domininca. The obvious and visible status of poverty we have in Domininca is obvious that you and your failed corrupt Labour government has nothing at all to make Domininca better for our upcoming children, our investors and that our elderly people who worked hard for years, now retired want to see a better decent clean government and country before they pass on to the next stage of their lives to heaven. Amen. Stop decorating Skerrit’s unhealthy cake, stop polishing that shoe with this corrupt dirty Red polish on Skerrit’s foot, stop talking rubbish on behalf of failed Skerrit. Skerrit is this failed Odd Minister and he has reduced our nature island to the bottom less pit of poverty. So,Tongue, there is nothing in there that you have said moves us. Keep ur tongue in ur mouth…

  5. Frog Man
    March 23, 2019

    Carnival was garbage. There were very few bands (that only made one circuit of the town) and, considering we market it as unique, it has become homogenized. The only difference between our carnival and those of other Caribbean islands is that ours is, well, garbage. Too many gaps, too little coordination, people not turning up on time (and then mostly looking miserable throughout), garbage absolutely everywhere – including single-use plastics. If the DDA/Festivals people continue to be responsible for it, burying their heads in the sand, then Dominica’s carnival will just continue its slide into decline until it just turns into a bouyon blocko. What happened to the creative floats and costumes of 2006, for example ? It’s all powder and feathers and garbage.

    • Bring back the kidnapped Dominican parrots
      March 25, 2019

      What happened to all the steal bands at carnival time from the good years especially the 1950’s through the 1970’s.

  6. My little Take
    March 23, 2019

    Well then Mr Tongge, you need to discuss that information with Skerrit and convince him that we should have Carnival every month to keep the place lively. Maybe you should also use that opportunity to convince Papa Skerrit that he should give you a chance to run in Roseau Central instead of his wife Melissa By the way was there an increase in revenue?

  7. mia ma
    March 23, 2019

    So are those returning visitors or new visitors? Are those Dominicans coming home for carnival or actual visitors coming to experience Dominica’s carnival?
    This is horrible reporting of stats!

  8. %
    March 23, 2019

    Tourism Minister, Senator Robert Tonge is reporting an increase in Medard visits to his home………… revisiting the old flame. for Mas Domnik 2019.

  9. Curious
    March 22, 2019

    Messrs Tonge and Piper, tell the readers of DNO and the wider Dominican population how many of these visitors were Haitian travellers using Dominica as a transit point to Guadeloupe, Martinique and the rest of the Caribbean.

    Tell us how many visitors came on L’Express Des Isles and how many came on Val Ferry.

    Also tell us how many visitors came overall for the months of January, February, March 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and how many Haitians came during those months and during the 2 weeks before Carnival Monday and Tuesday of each respective year.

    DNO please try to get this data and show the public, thank you. Check DDA office, Central Statistics office and even Immigration Department at CDPF/

    • Neville
      March 26, 2019

      You asking too much of DNO, too much work and beyond der capabilities. However, when I write a negative comment about totally useless DOWASCO they take it upon themselves not to publish it, even so it only contained the truth. That’s the reason I don’t care about Dowasco News Online anymore. They are like labour supporters in trying to defend the indefensible on an ongoing basis!!!!

      ADMIN: We appreciate your humour, even though off-topic we have allowed this comment to address your concern. Your comments were refused for several reasons noted below:

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      You may or may not have noticed that we did post a comment of yours that was critical of Dowasco (and DNO), this comment did not contain ad hominem attacks nor was it made under a paid announcement.

      • Neville
        March 26, 2019

        Admin, please don’t go out of you way to do me any favours. I know what I’m on about and frankly I couldn’t care less what policies you have! Perhaps one day you might go to Dowasco and ask Mr. Ettinoffe some telling questions and then report back to your faithful readers. I doubt though there is anything of substance to report back though apart from the usual rethoric, Skerrit propaganda and plenty of uhm, ahm, maybe and the likes!

  10. Kim
    March 22, 2019

    Thanks to Marva Williams and Price Wadix for promoting our lovely Dominica. You guys worked well together. And to all those who helped to promote Dominica big up to you. Everyone made a dollar for the carnival this is how is should be. Stay bless.

  11. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    March 22, 2019

    You know this clown stands with his hand in his pocket talking crap about increase in people arriving by ferry in Dominica; the nonsense he speaks makes no sense!

    If you are talking about 2,723 people came to Dominica, for carnival that alone should disqualify you from collecting a dime from the treasury each month!

    You feel you are looking smart but in reality you look more stupid than anything else!

    Here you are talking about Carnival and visitors, and you stand there talking about far less than fifty thousand, or a hundred thousand people visiting for the festivities; that alone should indicate the few who came are native Dominicans.

    And the reality is they are Dominicans living mostly in Guadeloupe, and other islands where your Ferry sail.

    The arrivals, are not America, Canadian, and European tourists!

    If you wish to boast boy; show us a manifesto of arrivals at the Airport, let us see the amount of foreign tourist which arrived by LIAT!

    Man shut up!

  12. Bring back the kidnapped Dominican parrots
    March 22, 2019

    First impressions are lasting impressions in this day of the internet and Facebook and Twitter. They better pick up all the garbage and trash laying around Roseau and else where. If tourists see a bunch of garbage laying around they are going to get on the internet as soon as they get back on the ship.

    • Affa
      March 23, 2019

      I agree investment need to be made covering stinky drains in Roseau and deep drains around Residences in Dominica; and a simple resurfacing of the roads around Roseau will help. By the way these are definitely small numbers to be celebrating already, do more thinking outside the box such as legalized recreational cannabis then watch and report to us how the numbers increase exponentially. Key words outside-the-box

      • Gary
        March 24, 2019

        Do you live in Dominica, if not when was the last time have you been to Dominica. The reason I’m saying this is because of your silly comment regarding covering the stinky drains in Roseau. Why such ignorance or willful attempt to ignore facts, http://news.gov.dm/index.php/news/65-government-embarks-o

        I wonder if you really understand the phrase, thinking outside the box, your reference regarding the legalization of recreational cannabis is silly, so long for your silliness.

    • Gary
      March 23, 2019

      Why such pessimism, wow. Do you know how many days have passed since Carnival festivities, have you seen any pictures on facebook and heard any Twits regarding trash laying around Roseau. Why pass your self off as being someone concerned about your Country image writing such comment, when in fact you are not.

      • Ibo France
        March 23, 2019

        People like Gary are counterfeit patriots. They give succour to the government’s glaring inadequacies and mistakes and quick to nuke those who pinpoint grave flaws of the said inept administration. He gives unwavering support to a regime that manufactures untold hardships and abject misery. Gary, by supporting an incompetent and corrupt regime you are unwittingly one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the progress of Dominica.

      • viewsexpressed
        March 24, 2019

        Gary, Get Lost! Why dont you drive over Domininca? Go visit the villages and see for yourself and come back at write some sense to us about the state of our poverty villages and Domininca. Don`t lecture us please if u have no records and research and evidenced to go and prove what you saying. Stop belching and talk out loudly of the corruption that has our people in poverty.
        Get Skerrit the hell out of our government. Skerrit is a big failure, with nonsensical big talk. He has failed us nd abused our concerns.

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        March 25, 2019

        Gary of all the people in the world where millions travel to Brazil Trinidad & Tobago, Louisiana and Antigua.

        If we can only get less than three thousand coming to Dominica by boat, for Carnival it might be time to turn off the lights in Dominica and declare the country out of existence.

        If that clown ( tong)  claims that the small amount of Dominicans who returned home by boat, term RR (residence returning) has increased arrivals to more than a 160% that is telling us not many foreigners visits the country; that boy does not have a clue of what he is babbling about!

      • Affa
        March 25, 2019

        Gary, I do understand the phrase o/s the box, however I send it right back at you for providing a link to a statement from 2012 – seven years ago. Although the Uwp campers rode on this comment, I think in my defense, I am not anti-this gov’t given the enormous task they face to rebuild this island after the most devastating event of our lifetime, nor am I anti-opposition – although I thing they pulled trigger too fast after the calamity. It’s all politics. But you must admit even legalized gambling along with cannabis has potential to bring in as many visitors on any given weekend as he is boasting. The benefits outweigh the risks.

  13. %
    March 22, 2019

    Shameless Robbie those abc tourism figures is a clear indictment of your failure as Tourism minister..No wonder lazy Skerrit discarded you and replaced you in Roseau Central with Melissa…
    You should have continued in your moo moo mode because you all have killed Dominica. 600 tourist
    tourist, 300 tourist, 391 tourist!!! What is that !!!When will Dominica reach 1000 000 arrival .In 2099 Robbie?
    Now Skerrits last straw and trick in the book for holding on to power is spreading money….!!!North, South, East and West .. .That took shall fail.
    Skerrit Must Go
    Skerrit Must Go
    LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now

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