Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Legal Affairs Claudia Bellot has said that the review of the Tourism Standards and Regulations Act is nearing completion.
She made the announcement at the opening ceremony of a FCCA-endorsed, Aquila Shore Excellence training, for cruise stakeholder on Wednesday morning.
“We have been able to beef up the skills of the office of the Attorney General with a legal expert in the name of Ray Harris and he has been working feverishly on the act in order to make the various amendments and the reviews that are necessary,” she said. “So very soon we will be coming back to all of the stakeholders to present the amendments to them and to obtain their input and feedback as far as those amendments are concerned.”
Bellot pointed out that the ministry is also responsible for the maintainenance and upgrading of the various tourism sites.
“We know that the Trafalgar falls have been designated as a premium site that will continue during the upcoming season so that visitors can enjoy the site in the morning between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm and have a more heightened experience at the site,” she said.
According to her, before the tourism season opens again in October, the ministry has plans to implement further upgrades at that particular site.
Meanwhile Gerry Aird, Ship Agent of H H V Whitchurch, told the participants that working together is the only way the tourism industry will be successful.
“Let’s try to work together, all of us are competing but let’s try to have a concept of what Dominica is trying to do. This back biting and price cutting that goes on everyday is not going to help us. The resources are there but we need you to make it all work,” he said.
A beauty, Dominica, rarely need any make up. However, time may force adaptation and strengthening of service, infrastructure and cooperation. For the individual, the tourist’s visit, the longer leisure accommodation or for locals, it must be important to feel confident as a person. Resources by appropriately trained and adequate staff is necessary for the person’s safety. Bad publicity – no tourists.
The tourism isn’t going to be successful as long as you have thugs robbing and beating up the tourists. Patrol the beaches where they go. They are not in paradise. If you are a tourist, you cannot go “on vacation and leave your mind behind and your valuables where thieves can access them. Unfortunately, you always have to be on alert. The “have nots” target you. They think that they are entitled to whatever You have.
Is the act also going to include undercover armed guard protections of tourists to make sure that they are not robbed or worse raped?
DNO: Can you all at least say what’s in the Tourism Act…. I mean you have an article about it and no provisions of the Act!!!
Cicero was right the more numerous the laws the more corrupt the state.