The Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association (DHTA) on Friday launched its two annual flagship events.
HikeFest 2015 and the National Tourism Tradeshow and Cocktail (NTTC) are the two main events on the Tourism Awareness Month calendar of activities.
Vice President of DHTA, Stephanie Astaphan said at the launching ceremony at Fort Young Hotel that, for the first time in history, the trade show, which is carded for Saturday 2nd May, from 1:00pm to 9:00pm at the Cabrits National Park, will see participation of key international travel partners like, “Win Air, Princess Juliana International Airport, L’Express Des Isles, Hummingbird Air, Air Antilles, tour operators Travel Planners SXM, and many, many more.”
She said these overseas travel partners will be coming to Dominica to meet and collaborate with key Government officials and industry participants at the trade show, “creating a unique networking opportunity and environment for cooperation.”
Astaphan said the intention is to inspire their confidence and commitment to Dominica, which in turn, she believes, will ensure the future success of local tourism enterprises and by extension the success of Dominica’s tourism industry.
“But it’s not all serious”, she pointed out. “There will be eats, drink, live music – prepared by some of Dominica’s most talented Chefs and mixologists representing 8 Castle Street, Café Desiderata, Fusion Village, Le Flambeau, Tulip Outback, Archipelago Trading and Belfast Estate and featuring the steel pan rhythms of Pan in Harmony and Jazz and Blues sounds of Brévè!”
This year, according to Astaphan, the NTTC vendor trade show is coupled with a series of educational and informative seminars on tourism-related themes of benefit to tourism enterprises and the public.
“Menu Planning, Alternative Energy, Digital Media Marketing and Exterior Design, facilitated by resident consultants in each field and merges into a cocktail at the end of the evening,” Astaphan explained.
She revealed that the DHTA is sponsoring a number of prizes this year including “a chance to win a 2 night Escape to Secret Bay, a 2 night Unwind at Pagua Bay, a 2 night Explore at Manicou River or a full day Rejuvenation at the Rosalie Bay Spa – but to be eligible to win, you must correctly complete your Passport to Prizes, and hint: you must be on time.”
According to her, the trade show has received tremendous buy-in and support from local business community and premium artisan producers.
“NTTC 2015 features 13 Tradeshow vendors in six product categories, 7 Travel Partners, 6 Artisan producers, 5 Tapas specialty menu items and 2 Vineyard brands. Tradeshow participation includes Digicel/Digicel Play, the National Bank of Dominica, CGM Gallagher, CIBC|First Caribbean, Fine Foods Inc., Pirates Ltd, Energy Management Services, Island Car, Nature’s Caress, Nestor’s Best, among others,” she explained. “These entities will have booths within the tradeshow arena; an invaluable opportunity to present their products, services and promotions to tourism industry leaders and private sector stakeholders in a format and environment conducive to professional networking and contract opportunities.”
Platinum sponsors for the event include: Digicel (Dominica) ltd, the Bigger Better Network, at the Gold Level: the National Bank of Dominica, Energy Management Services (EMS) Ltd, the Dominica Electricity Company (DOMLEC) and Tropical Shipping, and at the Silver Level: United Insurance, HHV Whitchurch Insurance – Sagicor General, and Carib Beer.
Tickets are EC$50 or US$20 per person, and are available from the DHTA Office.
Meanwhile Hike Fest is set for four Saturdays in May – May 9, 16, 23 and 30 to four of Dominica’s “most iconic hiking trails accompanied by knowledgeable certified guides and health and safety professionals,” Astaphan stated.
“This year, each hike ends with a water element: the lakes, the river, the Sulphur springs, and the beach,” she stated.
On May 9, the hike starts from Grand Fond to Freshwater Lake, where kayaking is arranged on the lake; on May 16, there will be a hike on part of the Waitikubuli National Trail, Segment 5: Pond Cassé to L’Iviere L’or (Gold River), “where we will share a one-pot by the river.”
And on May 23, Bellevue Chopin to Wotten Waven, “then soak in the healing Sulphur Springs and on May 30, Eden to Londonderry, along the ruggedly beautiful Northeast Coast beaches.”
Registration is EC$50 or US$20 per person per hike – Hike 3, Get 1 FREE.
Special recognition of Hike Fest Sponsors: the Discover Dominica Authority, DOMLEC, Jolly’s Pharmacy, Archipelago Trading Tropical Rhythms, Fine Foods Inc Gatorade, HHV Whitchurch Lipton Teas, and Nestor’s Best and fantastic Hike Prizes by Picard Beach Cottages, Fort Young Hotel, the Champs, Papillote Wilderness Retreat, Sunset Bay Club and Silver Lining Rentals.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of DOMLEC Adina Bellot-Valentine says DOMLEC has pledged just under $7000 to go towards the cost of T-shirts for HikeFest and the purchase of biodegradable containers for the DHTA’s NTTC green event.
“DOMLEC has in the previous years funded the hosting of HikeFest, because we view this activity as one which seeks to give those involved more appreciation for Dominica and an increased drive to protect and promote those assets which some of us are not aware of,” she remarked.
According to her, this is the first year DOMLEC is getting involved in the hosting of the NTTC.
“It is no coincidence that we have chosen to give support in the area of biodegradable containers…Domlec seeks to identify and manage the company’s environmental aspects and to provide a guide to employees in the management of environmental matters,” Valentine noted.
If only when we speak of our Dominica we emphasize the name ” The Commonwealth of Dominica,” although our is also a republic, there would be no confusion with the “Dominican Republic.”
When Patrick John accepted independence from Britain he renamed the island “The commonwealth of Dominica!
over here in london when i speak of Dominica people think i an speaking of Dominican republic we must think of that hindrance too much mixup. every other Island is WELL KNOWN when will we rebrand our island.while we changing name of airport and other none important parts of the nation remanning DOMINICA would benefit us .
You can launch as many annual Flagship events for as long as we all live, tourism will never become a profitable industry in Dominica, without and International Airport!
Watch this:
Vance W. Amory International Airport (IATA: NEV, ICAO: TKPN) serves the island of Nevis in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The airport has a single runway of about 1,220 metres.
The airport was previously known as Bambooshay Airport, then Newcastle Airport. It was renamed in 2002 after the former Premier of Nevis, Vance Amory, at the completion of a new, more modern terminal, a new control tower and a runway extension. The airport is available to most aircraft, being an international airport
Contents [hide]
1 Airlines and destinations
1.1 Charter
1.2 Cargo
2 References
Did you know the population of Nevis is less than twelve (12) thousand people? The population of St. Kitts, and Nevis combined is less than fifty thousand people, however there is an International Airport on…
There is an International Airport on the Island of St. Kitts, and another on the sister island of Nevis, less than two hundred, or less than a hundred miles away from St. Kitts!
In any event we have Skerrit- Charles -Douglas International Airport, specially developed to accommodate LIAT’s 747’s and the largest double Decker passenger aircraft in the world: Airbus A 380 landing at night only; that is the one Skerrit travels on when he leaves the island oui!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!