Dominicans are being encouraged to support their country’s tourism sector by participating fully in this year’s Tourism Awareness Month activities, which is being organised by the Discover Dominica Authority and the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association.
The month of activities which was officially launched here today will kick off from May 1.
A wellness Expo, Tourism Awards, a Youth congress and the annual hike fest are some of the flagship events planned for the month’s observance.
Tourism Minister Ian Douglas said the month of activities will raise the awareness of persons about the true potential of the destination.
However Douglas raised the fact that access into Dominica is of great concern. “Sufficient airlift continues to be a challenge and we continue to grapple with various ways of getting more and more persons into the country. The whole issue of same day arrivals is affecting divers because they don’t want to overnight in other places. They want to get here as quickly and cheaply as much as they can,” he said.
The President of the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association Simon Walsh said there is something for everyone.
“We have the pork festival, the wellness events…community projects, arts, crafts and many aspects for everyone,” he said.
The Director of Discover Dominica Authority Colin Piper and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Claudia Bellot also addressed this morning’s official launching ceremony.
We can see (on a good day) quite clearly the places we should be marketing Dominica to … Guadeloupe and Martinique. Right next door lies the way to bring in Tourist money. Also all the Islands with direct flights to DA … Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua. It is so simple. 1,400,000 locals and so many more foreign long term residents.
It is $77 US one way with LIAT right now to Barbados. Barbados has so many workers and foreign residents that want to do something different. Most don’t even know about this place. A weekend away on our beautiful island, trekking the Waitukubuli, swimming through Champagne, cooling under waterfalls. Barbados has none of these … not even one waterfall. Show them what we have.
The Minister should be advertising in their magazines packages with flight, hotel, excursions and taxi to airport all in price.
As for Guadeloupe and Martinique … you can almost shout to them. Once we have a large demand other flights will come here … it’s chicken and egg.
It will not solve the International problems right away but it is a great start … start with what you DO have not just dreams.
what about the night landing talk and all the things that were said about this night landing business? The people responsible for tourism need to come up with a real good comprehensive plan for tourism development. Is Dominica being marketed enough on an international scale? How does the government promote all the nature and human resources that are available in Dominica? What measures are being put in place in order to keep Dominica clean and green. The Nature Isle of the west indies – has to be green and clean – not only green with bush, bush and more bush all over the place. Road network has to be improved. The population must get on board the tourism business. Educate the people from primary about the tourism product. I mean Dominica is so blessed by God and when one would see they blessings are not tapped into well well its hard to digest.
Thats why the politicians must come together to build Dominica. Politicians got to come together in to make Dominica the envy of the other islands. All politicians have to come forward to build the nation and allow Dominicans to be able to earn a decent living from the nature Island. The More politicians play politics with the development of the nations and even encourage nationals to join such parades – the more Dominica will not – will not be attractive to visitors. Dominicans and all politicians must take a good look at Barbados and St Lucia and the other islands who are doing well in terms of the Tourism product. Its only when folks begin to think critically that things will be put in place for a great tourism product. So many good things in Dominica but one can see very many missed opportunities mixed with the usual old talk and sophistry.
Maximize opportunities for the betterment of the nation. To all those in The tourism business please look deep within. Do not forget – the local culture is not only for independence season……… local culture should be presented round the clock. Like the Jamaicans, they promote Ja culture round the clock and the tourist and visitors can get enough of it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,/ Looooooooooooooooooooook deep within mister and madam politican……… big boy, big shot, malayway… tout mon
Pork festival???? Isn`t that stretching the joke now??
Now that the Hon. Minister has lamented the obvious, what course of action will be employed to address this issue?
Douglas does not have a clue about management of the TOURISM PRODUCT. SQUARE PEG IN ROUND HOLE. As Minister of Tourism, Douglas’s comments are vague, and smells of incompetence. BIG Govt. sucking up the Tax Payers money. Advisers a plenty but economy declining and in shambles. How could the Minister, who always talks about STAKEHOLDERS, not see it necessary to CONSULT the TAXI operators about those new developments? Well, he did not even do the basic thing of informing the Taxi Association by phone.
According to the Cabinet Secretary’s dictionary, A ‘Consultation’ means to pick up a phone, tell someone about a meeting a day before. No official, written communication on the agenda or matter to be consulted on at the meeting. Even if the person could not attend, a ‘consultation’ took place. Imagine a CAB. SECT. and authorities exhibiting so much ignorance. Remember when the Govt. had to consult with the Leader of the Opposition on the appointment of the Chief Of Police? Dominicans know what happened. We know what a consultation is. On many occasions We are witnessing how those in authority treat their fellow men and women with utter DISRESPECT and CONTEMPT.
Dominicans, Food insecurity hitting us in our faces. MADNESS to allow the demise of Agriculture. Agriculture, increased production, should be top of our development agenda and should be married to Tourism. Are we going to feed visitors with food and products all or most imported from outside? How would the country and its people ever benefit from such backward thinking?
so what happened at melville hall where they spend so much money
Hon. Douglas must realize that delayed arrivals affect all travellers and not only divers, since no one wants to overnight unnecessarily in places other than his or her destination. What is needed now is right ACTION to fix the access problem. If there were enough people wanting to get into Dominica, air carriers would have sufficient flights because it would be a business opportunity. Note how often flights come into Melville Hall partially filled and go out the same. So it is hardly that we have a high demand for seats and no carrier wants to fly into a port two to three times from both directions at 30% capacity.
Even if we built a jumbo jet airport, the cost to maintain it would drive the travel tax so high that the divers would still prefer to go elsewhere. Note that Scuba Travel magazine lists Dominica as having the 95th of the 100 Best Dive Sites of the World (http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/topdiveslong.html). So, divers have several options already. Which countries are the divers coming from that they cannot make the current daily Eagle flight into Dominica?
Maybe we need to market the diving here as being so unique (hopefully, it is) that the best divers will want to do whatever it takes to come here.
No comments, because the admin don’t post them!!! Alas Dominica…Ian permiting toilet in river!!!!
Ian are you in the right frame of mind? For the sake of clarity, I will quote your piece, “Douglas raised the concern however, that access into Dominica is of great concern. “Sufficient airlift continues to be a challenge and we continue to grapple with various ways of getting more and more persons into the country. The whole issue of same day arrivals is affecting divers because they don’t want to overnight in other places. They want to get here as quickly and cheaply as much as they can,” he said.
Ian as a matter of information, just yesterday, Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Cooles-Lartigue was on the DBS 6:45 a.m. news informing Dominicas and others that we do have night landing access, but no scheduled flights. I said to myself that this man is an idiot to think that the right thinking people can believe his cr*p.
its ppl like you that read/ listen and don’t understand.
THE FACT IS THERE IS NIGHT LANDING CAPABILITIES. ITS A MATTER OF HAVING REGULARLY SCHEDULED FLIGHTS. NOT LANDING ONLY BECAUSE THERE WAS DELAYS IN ORDER FLIGHTS.
LIAT HAVE TO ASSESS TO SEE IF SCHEDULING NIGHT FLIGHTS TO DOMINICA WILL BE PROFITABLE TO THEM.
THE MINISTER IS SAYING WE NEED MORE PLAYINGS FLYING INTO DOMINICA.
WHAT IS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND???
Thats why i kept saying fire on any governmnet who is on record saying that dominica don’t need an international airport. No night landing is going to solve the problem. I guess since china so care about our development lets go to them for an international airport. We must ensure that we are ready to take full advantage from the anticipated improvement of the global economy .
Forever and ever will be last! Weh Ian
Douglas raised the concern however, that access into Dominica is of great concern. We are sick and tired of this government or any government talking about dominica needing a better air access,its about time that something is done about this. I dont know how much it would cost to build an international airport but I am dam sure that $27 million would certainly go a long way.
Ian you and the rest of the tourism officials are a waste of time.how hard is it to improve air access into our lovely dca.