Huge economic returns from WCMF and Independence

Patrons at WCMF 2013
Patrons at WCMF 2013

Director of Tourism Collin Piper is reporting that festivities surrounding the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF) and Independence are projected to rake in approximately $9-million into the Dominican economy.

Speaking at the official launch of the festival at the Krazy Kokonuts on Wednesday night, Piper said that the festival attracts about 4,000 visitors to the island each year and noted that the benefit to cost ratio of the WCMF surpasses that of other major festivals in regional countries such as Trinidad and Barbados.

He pointed out that the majority of festival goers are below 30.

“Approximately 70 percent of patrons to the festival are between the ages of 20 and 29 and they have the stamina and desire to go all night,” he said. “The benefit to cost ratio of the WCMF surpasses others in the Caribbean. We are at 9:1 ratio versus Trinidad at 7:1 and Barbados 2.4:1, and the contribution to the national economy for spending as a result of the festivities around WCMF and Independence are projected to be about $9-million.”

According to him, 582 respondents in a 2012 survey revealed that they spend approximately $155 per night at the festival.

“In 2012 with 582 respondents, Dominicans indicated that they spent about $155 in the park each night not including tickets and we had foreigners indicating that they spent $200 each night,” he said. “So we had an average of about $177 per night and based on the numbers of people in the park each night, it is coming in at about $4-million that exchanges hands on those three nights.”

Piper noted further that the festival has reached a milestone.

“We will be reaching a milestone in 2014 as we celebrate the 18th Edition of the Festival this year,” he stated. “The World Creole Music Festival has reached adulthood and we have come a long way from whence we started in 1970 when Dominica was looking to establish an event to increase visitor arrivals especially at Independence time and looking for a platform where we could expose our creative energy.”

He urged businesses to come on board and partner with the Dominica Festival Committee in hosting the event this year.

The World Creole Music Festival is slated for October 24th to 26th, 2014 at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium.

 

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19 Comments

  1. lotto
    June 30, 2014

    Piper again man just get out and let someone else do the job right . . i really thought that man was gone with the wind . No profit from the festival after so many years what are you and your staff doing PLease get the hell out

  2. Anonymous
    June 29, 2014

    Buying tickets on line would be very convenient especially when you do not live in DA. Last year it took about an hour to purchase Tickets at a particular spot in Roseau, & the customer service was not up to par. Customer service should be an experience & a service not just a job.
    A Creole festival fan

  3. Taxi man
    June 27, 2014

    Other than the world Creole festival that is the initiative of the U W P the labour party has not brought in any thing to support the economy of the state, not in tourism, not in agriculture, not in manufacturing, nothing at all just living like parasites on the poor people of the country.

  4. Pedro
    June 26, 2014

    Take a look at the St. Lucia Jazz fest website. Next years dates were long publicized so the visitors can start making plans. Nuff said. Explore the website fully, with the depth on info available. Thats what you call maturity. We can’t really boast of much gains after 18 years. Its not too different than it was 5 or ten years ago, apart from the stadium venue.

  5. Pedro
    June 26, 2014

    The WCMF is 18. Adulthood we say, Colin? After 18 years, the festival requires a substantial donation from government to be viable. Sponsors give but take back thousands of dollars through freebie access for all the VIPs, who are simply friends and family. After 18 years one cannot buy tickets online; there is still confusion and late changes about the schedule up to two months before….You cannot even give a full line up of artists…Same predictable recycled acts.. Last year you guys changed the stage to one which was inferior to the one you had before. When we started too, the signage kinda showcased Dominica. The WCF sign was easily seen. You could clearly tell it was the WCMF. Now you have succummed to the full wishes of the main sponsor and the show reads “DIGICEL”? Really? is that the best we can do to negotiate terms of sponsorship? The novelty is long gone, but sorry, so is the maturity. It means nothing to be 18..Don’t lets get started on the numbers now…

  6. A Valley Man
    June 26, 2014

    IN Mr Piper speech he stated “we will be reaching a milestone in 2014 as we celebrate the 18th Edition of the Festival’. The article continued ,we have come a long way from whence we started in 1970. You should not try to fool the people MR Piper. You must speak the Truth which is ,the festival began in 1996 under the administration of the United Workers Party. It is very nice to hear Ian Douglas the Minister of Tourism boast that the World Music Festival is a Flagship event Dominica but way back in 1996 one year after the UWP became the government this Flagship event was criticized as a bastardization of our culture by both the Labor Party and the Freedom Party. This is one of the very significant initiatives of the WORKER PARTY. More will come when UWP/TEAM DOMINICA gets back in Government. CHANGE IS A MUST AND CERTAINLY NOT AN OPTION

    • 1995
      June 27, 2014

      Dominica’s world creole music festival stared 1997

  7. June 26, 2014

    Which Political Party brought WCMF to Dominica? If the WCMF was run better I think we could have thee times that but Mr. Piper is not the right man for the job. He lacks the vision and capabilities

  8. Anonymous
    June 26, 2014

    Heston francis, Harry mo. Nasio fountaine, Aima moses to mention a few. I love the outsiders, but in as much as I do, I also want my first love my people put above all others. We can and have world class performers who are more than able to go head to head with the rest and will give us af great performance. Dominica can only be on the map if our own put us there. Our claim to fame cannot be through the performances of others. Big up our artists Waitikubuli all the way.

  9. The Calabash
    June 26, 2014

    This should be renamed ‘The Jeff Joseph Creole Music Festival’

  10. wcmf
    June 26, 2014

    tell us howmuch money allu make,,,, rather than comin and fool us.

  11. observer
    June 26, 2014

    Dominicans, don’t forget under which government this economic driver was initiated. Heard Mr. Douglas expressing the power of the WCMF.

  12. cc
    June 26, 2014

    What i think the DFC should do doing is start selling tickets for the creole festival online, so that visitors can have their tickets in hand before they get to DA.

    Its very inconvienent expecially for tourists who who are staying out of town, to come all the way to roseau just to pick up the tickets.

  13. confused
    June 26, 2014

    So the question is did WCMF make any money last year or did it make a loss?

  14. grell
    June 26, 2014

    Piper bull crap,bring Nasio to both parks,you guys for real.

  15. OVERSEAS
    June 26, 2014

    Date Sucks & Line up sucks

  16. ?
    June 26, 2014

    but all you think all you real smart eh
    i want you to compare with real figures
    compare our Festival to that of St. Lucia Jazz Festival and St. Kitts Reggae Festival
    i noted with interest that you comparing Our music Festival to other festivals on Trinidad and Barbados……you failed to mention what music festivals…..names please…..give yourself some credibility.
    I going to do my research to see how our ratio gets to be 9:1. Trinidad 7:1 and Barbados 2.4:1
    i going to research……….i never allow myself to be fooled!!!!

    • NATURAL
      June 26, 2014

      ?…..You should have done your research first before you post your comment. When you show facts thats how someone else learn and compare from your comment. Not just for criticizing sake…….

  17. Anonymous
    June 26, 2014

    Good Job Mr. Piper, however, as was said to you before, diversify the acts. Especially for Creole in the Park. We get tired of the same acts over and over. There are a lot of Dominican Musicians at home or abroad wanting the opportunity to perform. Of course, with that we must keep the acts on a professional level. Try to change things up a bit each year.

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