The Ministry of Tourism is formulating plans to make Dominica’s carnival more attractive to the outside world.
In 2019, visitor arrivals for the week leading up to carnival Monday and Tuesday were 5,196 which was a 129% increase from 2018 arrivals.
And this year, the Minister for Tourism, Denise Charles said it is the government’s intention to attract more visitors to the island while increasing participation.
She said at the official start of carnival on Saturday that work has already begun with a team to ensure that the entire celebrations are more competitive.
“It is my intention as your new minister to work with the team to ensure that we deliver an even more competitive product that will be able to attract more visitors, increase the number of participants in the events and generally improve on what we do as carnival,” she said.
The government is also looking to strengthen the work of the Discover Dominica Association (DDA) in its ‘Festival Tourism Program’ and ensure that there is a year-round festival program.
These events will include the Real Mas, Jazz and Creole, Dive Fest, Crab Fest and the WCMF, among others.
Meantime, MP for Roseau Central Melissa Poponne-Skerrit said carnival 2020 represents an expression of Dominica’s creative and cultural identity.
“The parade is one of the largest in the history of Dominica’s carnival including twenty-six traditional groups…in addition, the schools, special groups, and cooperations are also involved in carnival celebrations, “she said.
According to the newly elected MP, the government plans to gradually complete the revitalization of Roseau to make it one of the most exciting, livable and commercially vibrant cities in the region.
She also encouraged patrons of carnival to keep Roseau clean and safe and to find the space to enjoy the various activities that will be on display over the next few weeks
The Dominica Festival Committee (DFC) Events Coordinator, Marva Williams also spoke at Saturday’s opening ceremony.
She, however, explained to patrons that the DFC has developed and embraced a consultative approach to planning this event having met with carnival stakeholders during the month of August and in November as it was done in 2018.
This year’s carnival is celebrated under the theme “Play the Ridim, Play Mas”
Dominicans are so lost and heedless.. their priorities and visions are arms length. I wish i could help these lost African slave children.
This will be my first time participating in any carnival. I am coming from Washington DC. Flights are not that difficult. Dominica is too small to have direct flights from the states and beyond. I bought 2 sets of roundtrip tickets for a cheaper fare. You can also buy 4 one way tickets to avoid overnights. Just have to know how to look. After this I hope to help attract more people to attend Dominica’s festivities.
Play mas, play mas, hear what pussin say. we go fete all day, till the cock crow ash Wednesday.
What about the PMs promise that he made during his independence speech in 2019, to have a direct flight from NY to DA for carnival 2020?
Will that end up like the promised Florida to DA direct flight?
That sound you hear is my head banging itself repeatedly on my desk.
Wuh? So in other words, they desire to make Dominica’s vulgarity and lewdness more appealing to the outside world eh.
But hold up, just the other day dat woman, the rest of the cabal she’s serving with in government & their deluded supporters were engaged in all kinds of GOSPEL concerts about dedicating Dominica to God,….yadda, yadda, yadda?
Prang…prang, elections done; look they now talking about yet another celebration of this decadent festival called carnival in the island they claimed a few months ago they were seeking God’s blessings for.
Who Denise and dem think they fooling when they undertake their hypocritical and disingenuous displays of respect and reverence to God?
Carnival in its true sense is a spontaneous celebration of the people for the people by the people. If Carnival is to survive it needs to be regarded as something more than a competitive tourist product.
Had plans cancelled,TOO MUCH CORRUPTION IN THIS COUNTRY AND A ONE MAN REGIME,WILL VISIT ANOTHER ISLAND.Flights are too difficult.
Sorry but I have to say this…only 5,196 leading up to carnival. Best we have elections cause more people land by far….lol.
OK so being serious, carnival is soon. Therefore, this initiative should have started a long time ago. This should be a year in planning. As a matter of fact Creole Festival and Carnival should be marketed in a away to compete against each other. With two committees competing against each other with a bonus intensive based on performance would drive the competition thus increasing revenue for the country while building up the events.
If this modal is ever selected, I would advise that annul audits be conducted and made public.
Just a couple of observations:
(1) It is not enough to compare 2019 to 2018 knowing the events of September 2017 which would have depressed the 2018 numbers. The minister needs to go back to 2014 to see the trend.
(2) We are not going to realize an increase in the number of new people visiting unless steps are taken to facilitate easier movement into the island. The die-hard/hardcore people will return. Even those who take the occasional vacation around carnival time will visit, but unless travel into Dominica becomes seamless, that will always stymie the growth of visitor arrivals into the island. I for one will limit my visits to Dominica because the thought of over-nighting in Antigua or Barbados does not appeal to me. I have options to vacation in other places, and I will exercise those options based on my convenience. That is not to say I will not visit DA, but I will limit my frequency based on the difficulty in getting to the island.
That elections results got you discombobulated. Get use to it for another 5 years, 18 -3. Are you a carib or a hooligan? Which one?