Dominica records positive growth in European visitor arrivals

Tourists in Dominica. Photo credit: quintanomedia

European stay-over visitor arrivals for the first six months of 2011 have surpassed 2010 arrivals (5,209) by 14.7% to 5,974.

This year-to-date number also represents a 4.3% and 7.3% growth from 2001 (5,730) and 2006 (5,566), respectively.

Despite not outperforming 2009 arrivals (6,202) this market is on the right track.  Arrivals from the United Kingdom are slowly returning to pre-2009 numbers, growing 1.7% over 2010 to 2,231 for this period.

Following six-month numbers that represented a 39.3% decline from 2009 (2,456) in 2010 (1,492), arrivals from France have grown 32.5% in 2011 to 1,977.

Arrivals from the German-speaking (882) and Scandinavian (326) countries have also shown positive growth for this first part of 2011 at 14.2% and 24%, respectively.

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30 Comments

  1. cr
    September 19, 2011

    it is very good and interesting to know that Dominica tourism in on the up and coming. We Dominicans like to critised instead of trying build together we stand and wait for others to come and do it for us. Bananas was one of our main export but Guest and other countries went elsewhere, we Dominicans has to try and put our heads together and find other ways of bringing other forms of growth and development. STOP DEPENDING ON OTHERS AND STOP CRITISING WHEN OTHERS ARE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR THE COUNTRY.

  2. Anonymous
    September 18, 2011

    dominica is such a beautiful country with an abundance of natural resources. please oh please find away to make money off your natural resources instead of taking the movie to rely solely tourism. that does nothing but create a class of people who dont make much money but live to serve white people.then when the white people move on to the next new destination your left with nothing

  3. DOM
    September 18, 2011

    A bunch of money wasted on an airport in Melville Hall, so call upgrade. I landed there in Marc,h I work at an airport doing ground support for major airlines and I’m deeply disappointed. Why everything in DOminica have to be a waste!!! No foresight, no modern aircraft can land on this comfortably. Everyday 777, 767, 757 and 737 as well as Airbus A320, A300, A310 land comfortably without technical issues in a country thats 14 times smaller than Dominica.

    Its not just the airport that needs work, you need to have hangers, ground support crews, aircraft repair techs, pushback tugs, baggage tugs, ground power units etc. You can’t just have them land you have to meet a number of other requirements. Then you have representatives and independent personel coming to assess and audit… I go through audits weekly… Dominica is at least 10yrs away from that

  4. DOM
    September 18, 2011

    You know what would help, a bloody direct flight from our destination to Dominica till then its pulling teeth to get there.

  5. djx
    September 18, 2011

    HAVE YOU HEARD OF PUERLY GADGETS IN POSIE? MAN THEY SELL PHONES AND COMPUTERS AT THE BEST PRICE EVER MAN. ON THIS NOTE HOPE WE GET MORE GROWTH IN BUSINESS AND THE MORE STAY OVER WE GET I BELIVE IS BETTER FOR BUSINESS . BUT CHECK OUT PUERLY GADGETS IN POSIE

  6. littleboy
    September 17, 2011

    I hope we are not taking comfort from this report because it sure does not look favorable, especially when you take into considerationthe fact that Tourism is what we are depending on now, since this administration has sucessfully killed the banana industry and agriculture on a whole which carried us for many years.

    While this report ONLY tells us about European arrivals and stay-over visitors, I think it would be very interesting to see if a similar growth was recorded from US visitors or if we had a decline although I know our medical students from the US would give us a boose.

    Also, to see how well we are doing, please type in European stay-over visitors to St. Lucia and you will see the difference. Please bear in mind that although St. Lucia will outdo us in stay over visitors, yet agriculture continues to play a very important role in their ecconomy unlike us here in Dominica.

    So if we are going to depend on 14.7% growth or even double that amount, the next 25 years look very dark.

  7. Mr.Walcott
    September 17, 2011

    When will certain Dominicans stop putting party politics before country? There are Dominicans who are bent on being malicious because of their political persuasion. Those people need to take a long hard look at themselves, their inner beings, and come to a conclusion that Dominica is not in their best interest. If Dominica is to grow/move forward, every Dominican is to play his/her part. Contribution must not only come from those at the helm, but the little man also. I maybe wrong, but I would like to believe that, most of the comments posted on DNO are by intellectual or sensible persons. When will the hatred of the government come to an end, and people of all political backgrounds come together to build/advance this country? Dominica belongs to Dominicans; and it is not only that of the DLP’s or the DFP’s and the UWP’s. Politics has cripled this country from colonialism, and it continues to show it ugly face in our present day and age.

    If there has been an increase in stay over visitors, regardless from what country, it benefits everybody directly or indirectly. Stop this nonsense about countries the PM has relationship with or does not have relationship with. Dominica is part of Caricom, which has relationship with the US and the EU countries. Grow up and be a true Dominican.
    Thank You

    • warma
      September 18, 2011

      I could not have said it any better. Just about anything that occurs in/around/relating to Dominica, pro or con, is somehow political. If a hurricane bears down on Dominica, somehow the PM and the DLP had something to do with it – it’s that trivial. The petulance, intellectual immaturity on display by a significant portion of our population is simply astonishing. And that’s both at home and abroad. I cannot tell you how many times I have run into that type of diminutive thinking from Dominican’s in New York – sometimes I think they wear that ignorance as a badge of honor, quick to tell you to “leave me how I am I happy so”. I see other people from the Caribbean helping each other; they may not like the person, but they still continue to support. But Dominicans? the first thing they do when they hear you have some PAYING function is wonder what bill you have to pay, or they not helping you pay your mortgage, or something along those lines. It’s sad. And they show up – but let them hear it’s free, you will see how much of them will show up and drink all your drinks and eat all your food – THEN go back and badmouth the quality of your food. Labor Day weekend I was at a BBQ and saw a friend refuse to pay $5.00 to come in; food is free, music playing, drink you pay for – but he refused to pay $5, Had he gone anywhere else he would have had to pay at least $10.00. This guy turned around and went outside the gave and cursing the fact he’d have to pay $5.00 to go in.

      Dominicans have a degenerative mentality that far too many refuse to seek a cure to.

      But I have a response to situations such as these; I tell people to think of progress amongst ourselves in a physical manner. If you are making strides to move forward, then it behooves me to help you as well – PUSH or PULL you forward. Push/pulling you forward translates to me moving forward as well – we’re both going in the same direction. IF, on the other hand, I choose to push/pull you down, I AM going down as well – why would I want to do that?

      • %
        September 18, 2011

        If you are lost somewhere in New York, you must seek help to return home sir/madam,and stop speaking your crass garbage about dominicans. This will probably serve you better than typing your filth on DNO.

  8. ?????
    September 17, 2011

    These are the figures? What a joke!These figures are shameful.No wonder we are the poorest country in the OECS, and most probably in the Caribbean.The bad management is running supreme in every sector of the economy,and tourism is no exception.

    • Humanist
      September 18, 2011

      If you think Dominica is the poorest country in the Caribbean, it is your own ignorance that is shameful. The figures above are not great or even good, no, but they do not turn us into the poorest island in the archipelago.

      • ,,,,,,,,,,
        September 18, 2011

        They don’t do so because you have eyes but you dont see, you have ears but you dont hear.Wonder if you have a brain because i doubt that you understand.

  9. More Stats needed
    September 17, 2011

    DNO we need more statistics. Can you get comparative figures from other Caribbean Islands as well as previous years and not just selective years? Any reason was stated for the increase? I recommend that this news item be rsearched and provide us with more details. Can you please do that? In any event growth is good

    • 1979 has NO country
      September 19, 2011

      i applaud you 8)

  10. Rubbish Talk
    September 17, 2011

    From what I read there was an INCREASE in the arrivals from Europe that was the story whereas some countries are showing a decrease so congrats to whoever is responsible-SIMPLE,

  11. SMH
    September 17, 2011

    This is the kind of statistical bs that will come from the glorified pencil pushers who are currently running that organisation.

    Is that a measure of success ? under 6000 people from Europe ?

    We do not know how much money and effort DDA has spent in marketing to these people.

    It could be that without one cent spent in those markets that the numbers would be the same or even greater.

    So what gives.

    Overall these stayover numbers are pathetic, and 15% on pathetic is still pathetic.

    • caribbean genius
      September 17, 2011

      lol….

      When you critize the mediocre things, that others praise and see as a big thing, they say u hate your homeland.

      The bar is set low in Dominica… Our standards and expectations need to raise…

    • Dead weight
      September 17, 2011

      They think Dominicans are preschoolers… dead weight tourism stats

      • forreal
        September 18, 2011

        rome was not built in a day, we all no that the entire world is going through an economic crisis,this people save their money for months for a vacation,mind what you resent now does not come back to hunt you.

    • Jus lyk u
      September 18, 2011

      You people are so sick :twisted: You must have your dialy dose of criticizing others. Hope it makes you feel better even if your criticism is out of synch.

    • olderman
      September 18, 2011

      On the other hand, some european typical touristic countries (Croatia, Greece …) records negative numbers! In this context I see it as very nice trend.

    • Humanist
      September 18, 2011

      I have to agree. Of course, many Dominicans are so zealous about their country that the slightest non-happy thing you say gets them riled up, as is indicated by all those thumbs down on a post that does not deserve anything but thumbs up. Our island is in a 21st century form of the Dark Ages; such people can hardly be reasoned with, for the most part.

      • 1979 has NO country
        September 19, 2011

        8) nice

  12. tom tom
    September 17, 2011

    Sing the praises on Q95.

  13. SMH@ASADCASE
    September 17, 2011

    Good News!

  14. Pro America & West
    September 17, 2011

    How Ironic? Where are the visitors from the Countries Skerrit has a personal relationshp with their leaders?

  15. Pro America & West
    September 17, 2011

    They are from the NATO countries!! Where are the visitors from Libya, Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Nicaragua, and all the other countries Skerrit has PERSONAL relationships with?? Aren’t they the people Dominica should focus on and welcome to their shores? Dominican’s are anti-America and Western countries but they are depending on their visitors for their survival? How ironic?

    • Jus lyk u
      September 18, 2011

      Allu so mus always try to divide and conquer. The stats are not for the countries you mentioned they are for EUROPE!!
      Kluts!
      You so “Pro America & West” that you becoming blue eyed and not seeing tropical colours. You missing out a lot.

  16. Neutral
    September 17, 2011

    keep the crime rate down and those numbers will continue to increase. Help make those of us that travel or live overseas be proud ambassadors for our country. Word of mouth advertisement is the best way to bring people to our shores. I invite people to Dominica everywhere I go. We the people of Dominica by our behaviour encourage visitors to return. It is up to the government to improve our infrastructure to make the visitors experience an enjoyable one. FIX THOSE POTHOLES.

    • yup
      September 18, 2011

      best comment so far… hands down also on the neutral side …

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