Minister for Tourism and Legal Affairs Ian Douglas, has said that the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF) is making a major contribution in helping to diversify the island’s tourism and service sectors indicating that hotels are already reporting heavy bookings for the 2014 Independence season.
Douglas was speaking at the official launch of the 18th edition of the WCMF and stated that the government of Dominica recognizes the value of the festival and the role it plays in branding the destination.
“The government of Dominica continues to support this event as a flagship event for destination Dominica, providing the much needed resources to the Discover Dominica Authority and Dominica Festivals Committee to ensure that we can stage another edition of the same fervor and the same character as we have done for the past 18 years,” he said.
According to him, the WCMF is the cultural and tourism highlight of Dominica, generating about 5,000 visitors each year and contributing millions of foreign exchange and supporting various sectors of the national economy.
“The prognosis for this year’s arrival numbers is healthy with hotels already reporting heavy bookings for the period of the festival,” he said. “It means therefore that we can longer treat the festival as a frivolous child it has become a responsible adult in this period of the transitioning of the economy from its heavy agro reliance to a more service and knowledge based economy.”
H
e pointed out further that the festival is one of the oldest and most successful festivals of the region, which has created a platform for musical and cultural expressions of a national and international scope.
“This is the signature of the music we play, the music we love and we bring it to the worldwide audience,” Douglas stated. “This is the signature of our success and the creative cultural enterprise that is the best practice to us and to the rest of the region.”
Douglas noted further that although the festival is turning 18, it must remain fresh, relevant and innovative and vibrant.
“We need to also be cognizant of the fact that the festival has to be world class and for it to be so it requires our collective efforts to provide world class service and world class performances all around,” he remarked. “We are all being called upon to raise our standards and to raise our game and to not just be satisfied with that which we have achieved so far with this festival.”
According to him, there is still a lot to be done if the festival is to maintain its ranking regionally, and its status as a one of a kind festival in the region.
He added that the event must remain rooted in Dominica’s culture but also must become more international in its scope and dimension.
Mr Hon Minister could you kindly inform the public as to the number of visitors to Dominica for Creole Festival? How much money is realised from such festivals and visits ? Next, how many visitors came to Dominica last year? How many Thousands?
You are endorsing creole festival, what tourism product is available to keep visitors busy, active and happy whilst in Dominica? Have you not seem how boring and ghost town like Roseau and other parts of Dominica look after the Creole Fest? Mr Minister, Even the Independence celebrations are getting boring and people seems to be loosing interest. What is your government gonna do about that sir? Your Job it to make everything world class. You know what the problem, You all have first class talk, but third class execution skills……
You know what, you guys get away with everything based on the simple fact the folks you guys represent hardly travel, and allow you all to take them for a Ride>
Put the House in Order Mr Minister: Mr Minister, You are not even pushing for Portsmouth- with all the potential – to host a pre – Festival even or something like that….. Portsmouth is so sos beautiful yet You as Tourism minister en doing nothing to push Possie forward…. Nufff Saidddddddd
Good to hear Ian Douglas say that the WCMF is a flagship event in Dominica and no longer a BASTARDISATION OF OUR CULTURE. You laborites are now putting your feet in your mouths. The time is coming when Dominicans will see the harm this government is causing the country and vote this wicked labor party out. How long not long , because CHANGE IS A MUST AND NOT AN OPTION
You can never see the good done. Some of us know that whatever he says, whatever DLP says will never please people as you. For obvious reasons, no one should waste their precious time to take you on.
” hotels are already reporting heavy bookings for the 2014 Independence season.
Yes, but how many bookings have you got in the Moroccan given fifty room hotel you robbed from poor Gloria Dods Shillingford, and “she Wesley people?” You you know the same Moroccan Hotel we hear each room cost a million Dollars to build.
Ian, how can this be? I have registered in plenty of expensive Hotels in my travels internationally, loaded with all sorts of amenities, I however, doubt I ever slept in a hotel room which cost a million dollars to build. It is rumored that there are fifty rooms in the Moroccan hotel been built in your backyard, construction has yet to be completed.
Could it be the reason it is not completed is due to all the millions which goes into the building of the individual rooms?
Only in Dominica! I suppose the only way I will begin to understand that is when I learn to read and right from right to left only; you see only the right side of my brain is functional, that is why I am an idiot like a certain minister, who is they claim is minister, of legal affairs, and minister of tourism oui!
That boy Francisco to dotish eh; I doh call any name eh, except me cousin Gloria, so you doh can sue me eh!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
bigger idea is yet to come from the U W P Dominican let the
people that have the know how put things in place for our intrest.
hm, hm, hm. hm
Do you think that the skerrit party can ever develop something to bring revenue into the country. The WCMF was created almost 17 years ago by the United Workers Party and since then nothing has been done to improve it.
Nothing like what?
No doubt, this is one annual event that the tourism industry needs to continue to promote at the highest level.
The festival has the propensity to grow as the regions major cultural festival, as indicative in the interests we experience with our neighboring islands. I agree that collective action is needed by all to ensure that it gets bigger and better annually.
“We need to also be cognizant of the fact that the festival has to be world class and for it to be so it requires our collective efforts to provide world class service and world class performances all around,” he remarked. Man up Ministry of Tourism and bring together a conference on how this WCMF can be world class. Clearly help is needed to make the management of this worthy of world class. It is I still below expectations of visitors. And yes, I do visit every year, and love the culture, so I can be objective about my comments.
what is he speaking about..haha….man this labour regime takes nothing serious in Dominica..
Festival is BIG MAN TING BOSS..
All those passports SALES and other silent financial transactions this regime is into why not be Brilliant and invest 4 Million in the WCMF.
This festival has being at it’s lowest…WAY TOO MANY RECYCLED ACTS,when you compared the other festivals in the Region they are BUDGETED BIGGER,SMARTER and Better..But Dominica as usual is chest beating with small aspects and healthy ignorance breathing through it’s Ministries and Institutions..
Dominicans are so dazed they rated the poorest by agencies and will turn around and tell the masses they are better off than others……Dominica known globally on planet earth as island with generally foolish citizens!!!
So what he stated is not serious? You have a severe mental problem.