Dominica aims to increase its tourism arrivals to 200,000 visitors by 2025.
Tourism Minister, Denise Charles, made the announcement said recently on the ‘Talking Tourism’ programme on DBS Radio.
“The ministry has set an aggressive target of having tourism arrivals numbers up to 200,000 people by 2025.” she stated. “And how we are going to ensure that happens? We have grouped our products into 5 pillars, that’s Agro-Tourism, Aqua Tourism, Health & Wellness, Adventure and Events and Entertainment.”
She said Agro-Tourism, for example, is a new area for her ministry and they are still in the process of putting together a committee to finalize the plans and policies.
“So we have a lot to offer as a destination and as a country, as a people,” Charles stated.
According to Charles, the focus of the Ministry of Tourism over the next 5 years is to highlight the key products that the country has to offer.
She said Dominica has done very well as a country in terms of having two great festivals, the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF) and Carnival celebrations.
“One of our core goals is to work with some of the village groups to transform the village festivals that they have,” the minister stated. “This year, we are targeting the pork fest [festival], rabbit and seafood festivals and get visitors especially from our Caribbean region, our brothers and sisters, to come and visit Dominica for a weekend and go to those festivals.”
Charles added that this approach is expected to bring more visitors to Dominica thereby increasing occupancy at hotels and other accommodations on the island and those visitors, according to her, will also get “to experience our local culture which is our authentic cuisine that we have to offer the world.”
Tricky Denise hush nah. You are forever in lalalallalal land. In such tough times you seeing 200,000 tourists coming to Dominica. Where? On a kite? How? Through the International Airport. This is pure madness when the whole world is literally under pressure. You all ministers happy for real. Every Monday, you all have new ideas….
Yess Tricksy Denise 200, 000 tourist will come to eat fish and breadfruit in Pointe Michel and you. Will take d to the suphur springs. Go big Tricksy Denise.
HAHAHAHAHAA. A joke?
We need to Target real ideas of young ppl Wich can I will atrack tourist i cant put my buisness out ,but I started something Wich locals and tourist njoy in the north of the island and am stock like glue at one stage,it’s like all focus is on the south, Portsmouth don’t exist,we have the most beautiful port on the island where 95% of yachts anchors,a jetty was broken ,they brought all kind of equipment to repair it the equipments was moved it’s been 1year+ it was never fixed,now mind u all the tourist who came to purple turtle on their yachts used that jetty,I invest my money bought equipments for my buisness started on this very beach where I was a yacht chaser and with no help I am stuck begging for one thing Wich ministry of tourism,Discover Dominica,DSS and many others aware of and after 1 1/2 year am still waiting,I has all those WhatsApp messages from a top official all I get is ,u will hear from us accordingly I have to meet with the Pm,Ms Charles I will be coming to DA in…
Alas, we are aiming to achieve in 2025 what some sister islands like SLU had surpassed in the late 90’s. Well, Miss Charles has to try a ting, I guess?
I notice that “Adventure and Events and Entertainment” are grouped together under one heading. I cannot think of anything more diverse, assuming that the National Trail falls under this heading.
Understanding visitor clientele is not one of DDA’s strong points. Years ago I was told by their then Marketing Manager that the National Trail needs more attractions. To those attracted to walking the National Trail – the jewel in Dominica’s tourism crown – what could be more attractive than the dramatic countryside that the trail passes through. But that she couldn’t get her head around.
Nah sah, these are monthly figures. She probably meant to forecast 200,000 per month by 2025.
I don’t know for a fact what is wrong with our people; nevertheless, Dominica must be a place to be always first in everything.
I don’t know from where she got this nonsense ” Agro Tourism” from, I know something known as “agritourism” which is defined as the practice of touring agricultural areas to see farms and often to participate in farm activities; someone with commonsense should asks that woman with her stupid artificial wig on her head which tourist is going to visit Dominica agricultural farm and work?
Aqua tourism is defined as “Tourism for the purpose of water-based activities such as sailing and diving.”
They spew fart, trying to impress Roosevelt themselves and their supporters. We are in 2021, she wants 200,000 visitors in five years commencing now!
In that case 200,000/5 = 40,000 visitors per year. So you see how feeble and backward minded our people are; there are places in the Caribbean where hundreds of thousands visits in a single seasons on…
When you keep the masses drunk all day on cheap “Wayboe” what do you expect? Critical thinking? Certainly not. A few years ago, they built a “Foul Cage” in Melville Hall and called it a terminal building. Now, they’re spending more funds to redesign the old foul cage, while telling us that the International airport is coming. The Moroccan Hotel, Geothermal Planit, Hotel, development of the old Public Works Site and Cruise Ship Birth in Canefield, were all coming too. Thus far, none of them have arrived.
Mamzelle from another planet man wiff her ambitious 5 pillars but hope Mamzelle reading this so she can answer the questions,,,
Agro-Tourism: last time Marn was in the market is Guada wi dem vendors say them bell Peppers came from,,, Hucksters have to order their produce from Vincie wi to try to make a little Bread, So what Agro and tourism you going to offer people???
Aqua Tourism: Still have to break dat down for Marn yeah cause when people finish watching them whales and a little snorkeling what else is there to do???
Health & Wellness: Last time Marn Check is not Martinique nuh people was going for advance health and wellness,,, Oh yeah there is Screws dem wiff dem sulfur springs, so when them people finish bathe what you have to offer dem???
Adventure and Events: please tell us 5 Adventure events apart from hiking there is to do,,,
Entertainment: Apart from Creole Fest and Carnival and a little concert here and there by Cabrits what else is there to Entertain…
Your friend Robert Bob Tongue had more greater plans. What did he do? What is his legacy?
Tourism will go no place until you get serious and change the head of DDA. This guy has been there more than 15 years. What have he done to increase numbers? when will you hold him accountable?
Now is a good time to conduct a Audit of DDA. With nothing going on in tourism at least for the next five years.
Review the performance of these agencies in NY, London, Paris, Germany and Canada.
Get real. Tourism will never advance under the lazy conman CEO of Discover Dominica Authority. We need a Audit on performance and not a pie in the sky fancy plan… these plans have been there for years. Every time a new minister takes office they recycle. They never evaluate. Only recycle same plan prepared by Con-insult-Us. Get real Minister!!!!!
WOWOWOWO Loving it. Hit the nail right on the head.
Lady Denise Charles, I am one who is with you and our Government but not on this one, you see.
To reach your target of 200 000 tourists to Dominica by the year 2025, it means that we must have the average of 40 000 in number for the next five years.
You seemed to not be taking in mind that we have pandemic virus which is trying to ravage everyone in its path–I read somewhere, that the last one lasted for 3 years–and this one is not over yet in 2021; will we have 40 000 tourists visiting us this year?
Yes, we have a God who is in charge, maybe your vision is from Him, but if not, we don’t want to push Him, because we have enemies who is holding these kinds of wild promises against us sorry to think of that.
Maybe it is just me, but I don’t think that God called us to make such promise at this time–there is too much at stake, pertaining to this present pandemic. However, may He continue to bless and flourish your mind.
lmaoo. The crazy lady.. Put God in your thing still. Same bible you reading is the same bible everybody else reading. God not into divisiveness or bad mind.
Elizabeth, I gave you thumbs up bringing your thumbs up to number two (2). However I will add; even if there were no COVID-19, the number she craves is nothing in comparisons to other places in the Caribbean, and what they get in a single season.
Dominica thing is when a few tourist ships arrive and spend perhaps eight (8) hours in the port!
Now even if she succeed in obtaining that amount via simply passing ships, that does not mean a windfall of cash follow; because that type of tourists meals on the ship are included in the price of the ticket. Those people buy their souvenirs on the ship too!
The type of tourism which generate money into the economy of any country are those arriving by air, on an extended vacation lasting ten or more days.
I don’t wish to get into that at this point; nevertheless I’ll ask the question anyway!
Where is Dominica’s International Airport?
Labor Party shut it down thirty years plus ago!
Minister please clarify your statement, are you referring to only stay over tourist??? Or are the cruise tourists counted. To give you the benefit of the doubt, I will say is stay over tourist you referring to.
Notice they said 2025?
Dominica is one of the backward country in the Caribbean, I wish and hoping this great plan with such of activities will be true,I love my Dominica let us be proud of our country
Ok Charles, and who shall we hold accountable if this target is missed? You or Skerrit? Anyway, I sincerely hope that neither you nor Skerrit has a job in government anymore by then!
So de tourism ministry has a target of about 40,000 visitors per year for the next 5 years!!! Talk about aggressive!!
Bulldozing 2000 plantain plants is de government expressive approach to agriculture… that’s why your ministry still can’t put it head together on a fusion of agriculture and tourism!!!
Pork festival and rabbit festival to attract foreigners? How much people from de ferry from heads you want to full de grounds at pork festival!!
Tourism minister doesn’t sound like she has a workable plan at all!!!
On the other hand we now selling passports for $50,000!!!!
So Dominica eh sell 70,000 passports yet?
This is not a business to stand behind a Mike or desk and look pretty. This is a joke…get serious already!!!
Don’t want to rain on the Honorable Minister’s parade….but shouldn’t those plans have been studied and implemented a few years ago?
The administration has been in power for more than a decade; these festivals have been in existence for a umber of years. Why now? What has changed?
The idea of increasing tourist arrivals will not come to fruition until the fundamentals, the basics, are given attention – good infrastructure, available hotels, and the like.
Arrivals really doesn’t count for much as stay over tourists…that should also be included in the master plan.
How did you arrive at the things you wrote, is it by reason. The Creole festival started in 1997, are saying there were no improvements from 1997 to the last one held in 2019, wow, are you being honest. Look at the Tourism Industry in Dominica, this DLP government has done more than any other Government in our history as it regards to the development of this industry, compare to where we were say 30 yrs ago, has nothing changed, wow. You mentioned the basics, good infrastructure, available hotels, have you not seen what the Government has done in the last couple of years preparing the country for the future. https://www.caribbeannewsglobal.com/dominica-featured-in-national-geographic-best-of-the-world-destinations-on-the-rise-for-2021/
You may not like the Government, but you should not ignore the accomplishments and strides made by this Government, they may not be up to your expectations but again the facts are
there, do not ignore them, are you really a voice of reason.
It is ok to have a vision for the future, but there is a reality, live in the now deal with what is in front of you. I wonder if the Minister has a crystal ball. Who the Minister is addressing when she lays out her future plans, wow, Politicians, yap, yap, yap. It is better to focus on the work that needs to be done this is not the time for PR grandstanding.
Allu too lie. there are zero attractions the tourists are allured to in Dominica- NOTHING!!!
Hiking, scuba diving, whale watching, wellness, research.
There you go. I saved you five years.
Cannot criticize the Minister of Tourism for her optimism and for being aspirational but when will we learn?
Almost all the Caribbean countries have TOURISM as their main industry. The competition is fierce within the region. This industry is too fragile to be our main revenue earner. The success of TOURISM depends solely on what obtains in other countries (USA, Canada, United Kingdom, etc.).
We should invest more in agriculture, manufacturing, food processing, technology, our human resources, education, infrastructural development.
By the way, two hundred thousand (2000 000) is just a paltry figure in comparison to most other OECS tourist destinations such as Antigua & Barbuda, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, Grenada. The ruling regime is completely bankrupt of ideas to jump start and sustain a booming economy.
They waiting for some of their friends to help them. Where the Sammy Johnson? He doesnt have any ideas? He supposed to be the consultant or advisor to the minister. But if i know better i know what all that is about.
I have better faith in Uncle Joe remembering what he had for dinner last night.
👨🦯
While we talking about 200,000 by 2025, St Kitts topped 1-million cruise visitors some years back. * Yawns*
https://www.caribjournal.com/2018/07/16/st-kitts-just-topped-1-million-cruise-passengers/
Read carefully. Cruise passengers. so which means tourist total was way more.
Miss Denise Charles… we welcome you wholesomely and support you as you undertake this challenge to effect tourism development for our people. We welcome you fully and wish you all the support you may need.
You see, Skerrit is a failure, lacks visionary, open leadership and the bigger picture of our needs and purpose of Socioeconomic development.
We have, or has questioned the look leadership of this Failed incompetent immnature Prime Minister and appears lacks knowledge and experience of Socioeconomic development. An obvious Nature Isle of Beauty Dominica is still struggling to bring in foreign money into our poverty country, our ‘Isle of Beauty’.
This failed incompetent Labour government is a pappyshow with a failed visionless Incompetent Failed Prime (Odd) Minister Skerrit and his visionless Labour government.
Our Dominican people has been reduced to begging through the Red Clinic, our tax payers money abused regularly for voters. Our economy agriculture, tourism is weak…
How long can you sustain such narrative, it is a new year, there is nothing you haven’t said in this comment that was not repeated last year and who knows when.
We will be proud of our Nay Isle Dominica be when we kick/voted out on this family, Immature visionless Incompetent Failed Tramp Labour government. The leadership of this team has failed us the Dominican people big time. Twenty years now had passed and we still have comical politicians playing Hop Scotch and Marble Hole ridiculous politics.
We need mature competent professionals trustworthy, visionary committed Professional dedicated determined Dominicans to be the Leaders of our government, people and our Dominica.
We passionately welcome our distinguished experienced commited trusted competent professional trustworthy reliable Hon. Lennox Linton and his trusted competent professional trustworthy United Workers Party UWP.
Skerrit and his failed questionable Labour, Incompetent Government has failed our people and our Dominica big time. They must go, and as Skerrit says sometime ago, that we must ” Go to Hell..Go to Hell…its none of our damn business” How rude and Disgusting.
Dominica is nowhere short of money. The problem is that the money doesnt go where it is needed. We have a delapidated goodwill school and roseau library, but they want to put VIP lounge in an airport which THEY say will superceded by the “new international airport”. We have money. All now Skerrit about to build his new house in Morne Danile right next door to the mansion he living in now. The country is NOT short of money. The problem is that those who collect is on our behalf, act like it is their to do what they will. You see inflated costs on projects so that a percentage is pocketed. you see certain people getting rich over night. You see politicians moonlighting known criminals in broad daylight. Money is not our problem. Integrity and honesty is our problem.
Madame Minister are you all drunk on something. Both events that you highlight have now come to be patronised mainly by Dominicans! While you are setting this target while don’t you tell us what the numbers have been for the last ten years?
“According to Charles, the focus of the Ministry of Tourism over the next 5 years is to highlight the key products that the country has to offer. She said Dominica has done very well as a country in terms of having two great festivals, the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF) and Carnival celebrations.” And what about accessing Dominica, getting to Dominica? What markets are you targeting, Caribbean, North America, Europe? What is the strategy to get more arrivals into Dominica and not just wishing on a broomstick!
I have not seen an inkling of a plan in this article. On another note, are we retrogressing, or is that goal set so low because of the COVID-Era?
I remember a time we were way past 200,000 visitors annually, in the time of Carnival cruise lines Tuesdays year round.
Whatever it is let us all support our Tourism product, but it’s a little confusing that we seem to be trying to reach a target which we regularly surpassed historically.
Min of Tourism: Lets set an ‘aggressive’ tourism target of 200,000 visitors by 2025
Covid-19:
Not if i have anything to do with it.
More and more the countries that we target are closing their borders. the UK, France, America etc. In recent times we have seen the sudden spikes in cases in our neighboring islands. Barbados, Guadeloupe, St. Vincent, St. Lucia.
Some seem convinced that it will all be over once the vaccine is available. But we shall see.