Caribbean Hotel Executive touts Tourism Enhancement Fund as game changer for Dominica

Destang

The establishment of a private sector-driven Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has the potential to be a “game changer” as Dominica rebuilds its vital tourism industry.

Immediate Past President of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA), Sanovnik Destang, said while addressing last week’s open session of the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association’s (DHTA) Annual General Meeting, that if implemented effectively, the TEF resources collected from visitors could generate nearly EC $1 million to bolster tourism-related initiatives, creating employment and provide other socioeconomic benefits for the island in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
“With 500 rooms in stock, $2 a night at 60 percent occupancy, you would net about EC$600,000 a year, if there is 100 percent participation,” he stated in his keynote presentation. This amount, Destang estimated, could grow to “close to EC $1 million in contributions” with additional rooms coming on stream along with participation from the alternative accommodations sector. “There’s a lot of good that can be done in society and in the economy with that amount of money, if spent wisely.”
Having served as the first Chairman of St. Lucia’s TEF from 2013 to 2016, Destang hailed its virtues, disclosing that the Fund has generated more than $7 million and fueled more than 500 projects.
He highlighted some of the TEF’s key projects, including its agricultural linkages program, workforce development and training programs, SLHTA young leaders program, sponsorship of the St. Lucia culinary team and the “Chefs in Schools” program, clean-up campaigns as well as local and regional disaster relief efforts, including assistance to Dominica in 2017.
Addressing the theme of the meting, ‘Beyond Resiliency – Reigniting Our Growth Engine’, Destang disclosed that the “award-winning” Virtual Agricultural Clearing House program “has helped to generate more than $1 million annually in sales for farmers from hotels and has cost less than $100,000 a year.”
Noting other Caribbean nations have previously set up TEFs, he advised his Dominican counterparts to extensively consult with one another before applying a TEF ‘to your own reality’. One option, Destang suggested, may be to make TEF contributions mandatory given the intimate size of the island’s room stock. “My experience is that clients are quite happy to pay the fee once they understand what it is used for.”
He commended Dominica for recent steps it has taken towards sustainability and resiliency (especially next year’s ban on plastic disposables and Styrofoam containers)and noted that its citizens have a real opportunity to build back better and stronger.
Destang said the “Nature Isle” ought to leverage the benefits and linkages of a private sector driven tourism  to lift its people out of poverty with important government facilitation through policies, capital access, infrastructural investment and ensuring ease of doing business.
However he cautioned that  government and the DHTA alone, cannot reignite the country’s growth engine and said that buy-in from civil society is crucial.
“In Dominica, I see tremendous potential. Nature and eco-tourism is a growing niche which you have mastered,” he said.
He urged Dominica to take advantage of its “authentic and unspoiled” nature.
“We try to manufacture that now and you have it naturally. You are literally the last of your kind in this part of the world and a critical part of Brand Caribbean. The entire Caribbean is rooting for you and eagerly awaits your comeback – but none more than your sister island, St. Lucia,” Destang stated.

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5 Comments

  1. Jaded
    August 21, 2018

    Good idea. As a use tax it will generate much needed funds to help the tourism industry without taxing Dominicans.

  2. Uncle
    August 21, 2018

    That is a tax by any other name, except it is not collected by government. You think Pappa Skerrit will allow that?

  3. RastarMarn
    August 21, 2018

    Garcon at what point allyou will get it that Tourism is not the Answer to Dominica’s GDP problem,,,

    What about the Agricultural Enhancement Fund!!!

    • Ibo France
      August 21, 2018

      Very salient point, RastarMarn. Government spends countless millions of dollars on developing the appropriate infrastructure and for overseas advertisements for tourism. Most of the hotels are foreign owned and the vast majority of profit is repatriated overseas. Agriculture and agro-processing should be the country’s priority sector. The money made from these industries circulates in the country and can be used in building the local economy.. The food import bill will be lowered drastically and food security will be achieved.

      • Moi
        August 21, 2018

        And just look at how quickly after Maria some food grew!!!!

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