Although the Covid-19 pandemic has affected tourism arrivals in Dominica and the world by extension, the island’s tourism minister, Denise Charles, said the Nature Ilse is ‘bouncing back’
Charles, who is currently in Antigua and Barbuda attending a two-day destination round table meeting, said arrival numbers have plummeted.
“Dominica is doing extremely well. Since we started direct service from the US market, our numbers increased significantly and in the first quarter of 2022, these numbers have surpassed numbers for over the past ten years,” she said.
In order to keep the sector relevant and curtail the blow of the pandemic, Charles said her ministry had to ‘rebrand’.
“The tourism industry was decimated by Covid and we used the downtime to re-strategize. We rebranded the destination. You may have seen our hot new logo which captures the essence of Dominica, our culture, our people, our adventure, our natural rain forest…”
Additionally, Charles said the ministry of tourism also launched a five-pillar strategy, namely, health and wellness, events, festivals, agro-tourism, and adventure.
“What we are doing is highlighting the key assets of Dominica, what we really have to offer,” Charles said
The vision going forward is for Dominica to become the most talked-about destination, and even if this may be an ambitious idea given the other major players in the market, Charles is optimistic that it can become a reality
“There are a lot of exciting things happening in Dominica; we opened our first five-star hotel in 2019 and a lot of other resorts are under construction…” she said.
According to Charles, construction of the longest cable car to the Boiling Lake and several other product upgrades are just a few projects underway to bolster the once-buoyant tourism sector.
The comments here are heartbreaking to read.
I am a firm believer that DA’s sole emphasis on tourism cannot sustain its people. Also, with the reality of climate change, Dominica has to create exit strategies to preserve its resources. That may mean less focus on tourism.
Dominica has paved the way so many times
before- from the creation of bouyon music to its international relationships. Sadly, Dominica, like the rest of the Caribbean, is at a standstill in terms of economics. No new ideas are coming through and the citizens of Dominica are struggling as a result.
What is the next idea that would help the people of Dominica instead of foreign investors? Future ideas must answer that burning question.
The gutters in Roseau, our capital, smell so bad. our people are very unprofessional, we are generally kind but that is not enough to encourage tourist who cant understand most of the things we say because of our dialect. This nasty music that we keep playing out loud everywhere. “Girl I like it when you squeeze your pussy muscle” really???? what decent man is gong to want to bring his family to a place like that. Most of our local music is about sex. workers scratching their bottom in full sight of everyone then going back to their duties touching food to serve people. Boys on the side road telling every passing female that they want to go to bed with them. A block with young men in almost every village. No night life, no shopping centers, no public bathrooms. And they keep building hotels not realizing that people who have money to spend live in houses that are more exquisite that the hotels that we are building. Tourist travel for an experience not a nice place to stay.
“D’ca poised to become the hottest destination”
Poised to become the hottest destination for what?
Yes, in the tourist season a few ships visits Dominica, nevertheless, that might be just a fraction of tourism activity which takes place in the rest of the Caribbean; after the season is over visiting by foreigners ceases.
Dominica is unknown territory, the place is backward; in the twenty-first century, Dominica is the only place on the planet where there are no direct international mail service. Mailing a letter from Canada, or America to Dominica takes between six months to over one year!
From Europe it takes one year or more!
The rubbish these people are talking are coming from their delusional way of thinking; fix the simple things that are wrong with country, such as getting mail services; and then concentrate on larger things, such advertising the country as a tourist destination.
How can one do that when there are no international airport on the island?
Con:
There are no sidewalks in the country, as people know it in the rest of the more developed islands.
Assuming the tourist would like to get into a taxi and travel around, or to certain parts of the island, and eventually wish to use a rest room to defecate or urinate, there are no rest areas with toilet facilities!
Such are what the North American tourist are accustom with in their country. I have driven from Los Angeles, to Canada countless times; and I can say, rest areas along with toilet facilities are strategically placed between fifty (50) and sixty (60) miles apart from each other.
Are these people talking bull, expect a woman tourist to stop the taxi, and squat on the side of the road to urinate, or the male to stand in the open with his penis hanging as Dominicans do to relieve himself, or run in the bush to defecate?
Some may like a nature island; but not what we offer in Dominica!
Come on Francisco, it’s time to grow up and shut your stupid childish nonsense, be a man and not a fool!!! There’s other words to this sentence but I will not mention on this Forum.
C’mon, it’s not “backwards.” Dominica needs change, I agree.
Yeah, I understand it was baking hot yesterday. This woman is just totally clueless. But the CM likes them so.
Dominica has a long way to go to be a top destination. Let’s start with the fact it’s ok for grown men to pee in the street like dogs.
At least dogs cock their leg garçon.
After all that garbage you recently spoke in our Parliament you seriously expect to convince anyone to come and visit Dominica; “margwey sa sey sort ce fe nous led”.
Maybe “hot” might not be the best word
..maybe “cool” might send a better message
..like try to forget about the worries of the world ..and just come to the Nature Isle
..and take it easy for a while..
Yes, with 9 murders in the first five months this year and the country in uproar and alarmed because a girl has been kidnapped by what the police call a lunatic who is known to them. Welcome to Dominica but just keep on sleeping bro. and relax but I keep alert with all my senses fully tuned.
I just wish for Dominica’s sake there can be must more positive vibes directed towards our island and it’s developmental Parth. This is our island and we need to speak positively about it and for it.
Comments about Dominica are generally too one sided, hardly every balanced offering an encouraging outlook or opinion or option, etc. It’s ether a pro view or a con view depending on the commenters’ political alignments.
It would be so refreshing, educational, encouraging, and positive for out island if we can read comments that provide substantial information, ideas, options, etc.
My comment is not an attack on anyone, but a mere wish for more substantial information in general.
The worse thing about Dominica politics is that those so called ‘Ministers’ actually believe the drivel the broadcast ever so often. I guess in the absence of hard facts, that’s what they have to resort to. Dominica currently is a failed country and this is unlikely to change until this CM and his fellow Ministers stay in office.
Virtually all the comments here totally disagree with the Minister. This has been the common trend in years, suggesting that all is not well with the issue of leadership and governance in Dominica. There are several suggestions that could turn things around form Tourism in Dominica. Why cant you all step out and join the political turf to make the difference Dominica deserves? Excuses that the political terrain is dirty and uglyis untennable. Let the like minds come together to create the political platform and ladder to ascend to political positions to get the visibility of making the difference in governance. Nothing will change until you make it happen. Each time you expect someone else to do it, unknown to you, that someone else is waiting for you to lead the way. It is a shame that Dominica, despite being a Christian nation, is unable to mobilise men and women of Character. The leaders of these churches may suffer loss at the Judgement seat of Christ for letting Dominica slide
How does the church/ christ have anything the point you’re trying to make?
Hear nonsense! We have been poised to be that for over 20 years now. But yet nothing. The mindset and attitude of doing business in Dominica MUST change first of all. The government MUST put things in place for the average business to be self sufficient and not rely on NEP to pay for their staff. Financial institutions MUST change their policies and procedures to get with the times to cater to visitors from advanced developed countries. We MUST develop that level of class that is expected to consistently provide proper service and products to the public. Too long have we dealt with the commerce and operation of the country like it is a hobby. This pronouncement is as fake as the hair on her head. That is the reality. Walk around the capital and feel the extreme lack of vibrant energy that used to be. Majority of people here are living from hand to mouth.
In recent years our image of being the “Nature Island” of the Caribbean has been tarnished and compromised by squalid housekeeping and inappropriate development.
As a British Citizen with Dominican and Jamaican parents i frequent both Islands as well as others in the Caribbean I have to be honest and say Dominica is the last place any one I know or every spoke to considered as a Tourist Destination… The other issue is people are very informed now and aware and do research , Dominica has had millions of pounds over the years to support development and progress due to Hurricanes and lack of import trade deals etc. If the Millions of pounds have not been used to support the Dominican People or rebuild or invest in moving the Island forward why would a tourist return even if they did come once ..once a tourist comes and see’s for themselves ( unless you into bush and spend two weeks in hills and valley )
Also Tourism is not a one piece project as well as places to view you need to ensure a high level of Customer Service, Professional attitude towards all people, Good Roads , Professional Civil Servants in the event you need support .
It is very unfortunate but I could not have said it better. I want to be proud of our island, want to show it off and encourage people to visit it. But these people have a choice and they are not obliged to come to Dominica. The whole world is our competition so why should they come to a place that looks so delapidated and tired and shabby, with little choice , is expensive and difficult to get to.
Sarah Ferguson I resent your comments as a Dominican. I think you are very I’ll informed and has lived in Europe for to long and has no appreciation for simple natural beauty.
I would suggest you do some intense research about Domi nica 50 years ago and make a comparison now, then travel the other Caribbean islands and compare with beautiful natural Dominica
Maybe you listen to all the negatives from both parents which I’m sure is over 60 years old
Couldn’t have said it better myself bro.
That’s your opinion
Irma & Colihaut,
Sometimes we might be too proud of our little country to appreciate Constructive criticism. Dominica is a GEM!!! green, beautiful and naturual. However, Sarah only pointed out truths. Apart from having very little tourism product, we also lack customer service skills, safe roads & activities that one would expect from a “nature destination”.
Dominica needs to further develop its brand, if it expects to attract visitors ( not diasporans) It’s one thing to come at your family place and sit down and spend time with your granny. If i wasn’t Dominican myself, i would never spend a cent trying to travel to a place where the only entertainment is to go by a bar by the road.
you would never resent somebody for telling you to tie your shoelace…. This is the exact same thing – Fix your shoelace ( tourism product) before you fall ( so that you attract well paying tourists)
Dominica is the LAST PLACE IN THE WORLD that any tourist would want to go to?
Do you even hear yourself?
I really want to believe that you people of “Dominican descent” really do mean well but the way most of you living in the diaspora speak about our country just shows how out of touch you are.
Sarah, by that crap you written who the hell needs stupid mentally individual blue monkeys like you in Dominica anyway go to Hell
Whatever happened to that famous Waitikubuli trail Denise, you know the one originated by Bernard Wiltshire and then apppropriated by government and now impassable for lack of upkeep. Your mouth only good for talking then.
I saw a woman walk the trail and in a lot of places you cannot tell there is a trail. It is completely overgrown by bushes. They build but they don’t maintain.
Charles what are the actual numbers? Tell us your numbers over the past five years. Now Compare that with Antigua, Barbados, Cayman, Bahamas, St Lucia, and then repeat this nonsense again! I am not even including the Virgin Islands. What are your actual numbers for your arrivals? Compared to the actual arrivals for countries that have five to 10 Jumbo Jets from Europe and North America almost every day? Now repeat your nonsense to fool Dominicans again!
When you are starting from a very low number, you can use statistic to make yourself look better than your competitors. So if we had 25,000 annual arrivals and with the MIA/DCA service our numbers get to 35,000, suddenly we are up 40%. What they don’t tell you is that we are only up 10,000 additional arrivals which to most tourism dependent destinations is a drop in the bucket.
I am 100% supportive of any initiative that brings more money into the pockets of Dominicans. What I will not support is the hyperbole that this government is famous for. I have read too many reports of state of the art this and that being built in Dominica when in fact they are just ordinary building that are nowhere close to being state of the art by any measure. Government ministers blowing smoke I will not support.
State of OUR art is mediocrity.
Improve customer service by offering training classes. We are lacking there. Alot of our service providers do not know how to speak eloquently. They can’t explain themselves and speak to others in a manner that only a Dominican would understand based on the dialect. We are very long way from becoming a “top” destination, unfortunately.
Stop the foolishness!!!
What make allyou think all those other islands with golf courses and extra circular activities for people to partake in will make them leave that and come to Dominica,,,
Garçan Dominica don’t have what it takes to attract people to come there!!!
When you finish watch the little sea creatures and you do one hike, what else there is to do nuh!!!
Allyou talking about the 5 star hotel, wonder what’s the numbers on its profitability thus far, 4 years later, lets talk about return on investment!!!
There is NOTHING!!!! to do here at night except hang out on the side of the road with a drink in your hand. As a tourist, if i want to walk around at night and get a decent well prepared eye pleasing reasonably priced meal or even just a snack where do i go? What are my options? As a tourist if i want to drive around at night and need gas are there enough gas stations outside of Roseau? Or are there any opened past 10pm? the answer is NO. Are there enough ATM’s strategically located around the island, especially on the east coast that will allow me to access money? Or are there enough businesses that are opened past 6pm? NO. We are not ready here.
“Dominica poised to become the hottest destination in the Caribbean says Tourism Minister…” This calls to mind the words of the famous US Rap Artist who sings: “Its getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes.”
And on that note Juanita, I have taken off all my clothes. Really hot in here
Misleading headline by DNO. Confusing remarks by the
Honourable Minister.
Clearly the Honourable Minister needs guidance. The sad thing is that most of her technocrats are in the same boat as she is.
What Weave Queen mean is when Domlec take your lights cuz you cant pay the bill not even a fan you will be able to up on. Then you must remove your clothes to cool cuz it will be hot in here. I hope is not by red clinic the clothes will be removing,
But taking off your clothes is frowned upon in Dominica.
My sculpture of a bathing figure dowsing herself with water scooped in a calabash shell – a sight familiar along our rivers 50 years ago – has been considered inappropriate for public view.
My blog post “I am sorely tempted” refers to the scene that inspired me. https://sculpturestudiodominica.blogspot.com/2018/01/i-am-sorely-tempted.html
That woman looking dumb, with her fake smile that’s what Dominica have as minister of tourism , oh my lord. So Dominica have so much money you take down a tram that was employing seventy people in the area, and now you going back and put the same thing you take down, i can not understand that . It’s like the stadium taking it down and putting it back up what a waist of money while you have people still living under tarpaulin after five years what a dam shame.
And how do these people get here in the first place Denise? How did you get to Antigua from Dominica and how will you get back. There are no direct flights between here and Antigua Denise. You must go via Barbados or St. Maarten and it will cost you a fortune. OK you travel at government expense and on government time Denise. Most other people don’t have that luxury Denise. Promoting all these schemes is good but only if people will come and visit us on reasonable terms. Be realistic Minister and don’t just sell smoke.
As usual, this article comes directly from a minister who seems to cherish making false assertions. Apparently, she has learnt well from the Liar in Chief. She is of the conviction that Dominica is doing extremely well in tourist arrivals without the raw figures to support her fictitious claims. Print the statistic/ raw data to verify your pronouncements.
Two of the new pillars they are relying on to boost tourist arrivals are health and wellness, and agro tourism. Really? Everyone who is seriously injured or ill, has to be flown overseas for medical attention. What agro-tourism? The agricultural sector is presently at its lowest ebb.
The whole of the present cabal is made up of the greatest artists in the Caribbean. They paint the most spectacular pictures but they are like abstract paintings, far from reality.
Look there I fall of my chair laughing
waste of money, go and fix the aerial tram allu let fall apart, all allu know is build things then a couple years it falling apart can’t take care and upkeep property, look at Ross how it looking old and falling apart…
The vision going forward is for Dominica to become the most talked-about destination, and even if this may be an ambitious idea given the other major players in the market, Charles is optimistic that it can become a reality
“There are a lot of exciting things happening in Dominica; we opened our first five-star hotel in 2019 and a lot of other resorts are under construction…” she said.
Ok so it is just a vision of optimism on the part of the tourism minister, founded on a 5 star hotel opened two years ago but has still not made any significant R.O.I. and this is what we are using to forcast that D’ca poised to become the hottest destination in the Caribbean? oooookayyy… TheD’ca poised to become the hottest destination in the Caribbean environment political environment is quickly becoming inhospitable to ineptitude.