The Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) this morning launched its latest initiative aimed at increasing awareness of Dominica’s tourism product.
The initiative is dubbed the ‘I Am Dominica’ campaign.
Speaking at a press conference, DDA CEO Colin Piper, says that the local aspect of the initiative would be launched today, with regional and international to be launched subsequently and that campaign’s motives are three-pronged.
Of the objectives he said, “It is to raise the understanding of and advocacy for the ‘I Am Dominica’ theme, with internal Dominica stakeholders meaning the Government, businesses and the citizens, resulting in a compelling brand experience for visitors. This will lead to increased brand awareness and equity and ultimately sustained tourism. We’re looking at three areas, one would be an education strategy, the second an activation strategy and the third would be management.”
President of the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association (DHTA) Simon Walsh said that the campaign will cause citizens as well as visitors to question the theme and seek an understanding of what it means to ‘be Dominica’.
“One of the things that we liked about [the theme] is that it’s a challenge and that it forces you to try and understand what the question is, ‘I Am Dominica, Are You?’ It will force people to go out there and understand whether they are ‘Dominica’ and I think it’s an exciting campaign on that side because the kind of people that we have coming to visit Dominica are people who like an intellectual challenge,” he said.
He added that from a local standpoint it first starts with a culture of pride in Dominica and it’s environment in an effort to entice the tourists.
‘I Am Dominica’ campaign t-shirts are available for purchase from DDA.
I could understand something like “I love Dominica,” or “I like Dominica,” or “I remember
Dominica,” but I don’t make any sense of the expression “I am Dominica.” What is it supposed to mean? Please explain. I visited Dominica once back in the 1970s, and I would like to go back soon.
The’I AM DOMINICA’ campaign showcases the tremendous natural attributes of the island which will increase brand awareness, equity and ultimately sustained tourism.
The objctive of the campaign is to increase public awareness ans positive consciousness among locals by showing appriciation and importance for Dominica’s tourism product.
Stop being negative about every good thing that arises and strive to work together to further develop Dominica.
OK I AM DOMINICA is a great idea. I learnt about it watching news on night. One comment before mine said that Dominicans dont know about their history, and that is true. Not evryone is educated about their island. Some even know more about others.
This campaign should start off with a very fun educational program. Share this program with the MInistry of education and implement it in our schools. History is a very fun subject and I think from as early as primary school we should be learning about historic sites on our island as well as dates.
The youth are people full of energy and this would give them something to be interested in. Let them do things that are enjoyable to them in the program to engage in, in this prgram. For example, there are alot of Young men who got great artistic skills. Let them Paint beautiful parrots, flowers, valleys protraits of Dominican people and tourists also, and hang them up in cultural locations with their signature on it, or sold to visitors. Some are skilled computer designers. Train them to use softwares where in they can create logos for the campaign and other stuff that makes the campaign ccreative.
OK, I am Dominica!!! What, if I may ask, has this got to do with promoting Dominica??? What a nonsense. Somebody sitting in his office chair all day long had a “bright idea”, implements the idea and nobody in government is capable of stopping him wasting money. Dominica, amongst others, needs a marketing professional who is able to promote the island in key countries.
Furthermore, teach Dominicans who are involved in the tourism industry (hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, airport staff, taxi drivers etc.) some basic customer service skills. I love this island, but boy, when it comes to customer service, it’s just non existent. Tourists have been complaining about this for years, but don’t see an improvement and don’t come back.
thank u
Great Job,You all are hard working people,You all sensatize the public and what they do they make no effort in developing themselves and their business that are already established…..If you all were sharing money they would have an interest…..But continue educating…
am not Dominican but my father is, from my first visit i return many time after sometimes two or three times a year, i live in the Caribbean, but what i find its the people who live in these island most of them don’t follow the history or culture, there are time am in DA and people are ask questions about the place and born Dominican dint know and i have to tell them, so we first need to learn our island so we can answer any question, Dominica is my home too, not because i was not born there.
I really love the idea behind the campaign tho, being dominican is more than just repping for ur country at carnival, independence, and labor day. Dominica is Dominica 365; 24/7 and if we are dominica then we need to be dominica 365; 24/7. Good God I love my homeland! Sign me up cuz “I am Dominica”. But on the real tho, can these tee’s be ordered online.
The biggest problem is not the lack of funds. Its the lack of thought.
You start painting Roseau but forget that the first place people see is Marigot, not Roseau. Spending money on Marigot as a welcome village to the arrivals to Dominica is of more value. helping fix or replace that nasty excuse for a bridge right outside the airport is key. Improving the signage of venues and of roads in Dominica is another key given how bad the signage in the country is for traffic and for destinations.
Why cant Dominica have a Dominican agency or marketing firm ? A US agency cannot do anything for brand Dominica unless they have lots and lots of money to spend on media. And you dont have that. So you have to define what your brand is about. Nature ? When old cars and styrophene containers are all over the place ?
Dominica is a strange country. These people mean well at one level, but at another, its the same, do a cheap poster and a t shirt print locally and send millions of dollars abroad trying to sell something that doesnt exist.
keep on patting yourselves on the back.
Well said.
You see the emphasis is still on Cruise tourism. When what you are saying deals with more or less over niight stays and a better development of the tourism industry in general.
As you said a lack of thought with regards to marketing as well. If you have a Dollar for marketing it is better to invest it where it brings the most benefits.
These guys still seem to be on a short term plan.
If they are Dominica, God help the rest of us.
I’ve read the press release through three times, but sorry, I’ve lost the plot. And don’t get me wrong, I am all for promoting Dominica.
As Simon Walsh says, “it forces you to try and understand what the question is”. I do like “an intellectual challenge”, but my dim mind is still trying to work out what the last election question mark signs mean.
I like the the theme but I would have just leave it at “I am Dominica”
Not really feeling the “Are you?” part
Very astute comment. The “Are you” part definitely needs to be removed; it greatly diminishes the appeal for Dominicans and especially non-Dominicans who may want to wear this T-shirt.
Good Initiative. As a child, I remember proudly wearing the T-shirt “see Paris and die, but see Dominica first”. I did not merely wear the T-shirt, but I could speak about all that Dominica has to offer because as a participant of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, I walked all over the island on the weekend or on school breaks with my friends and we really enjoyed the island. Those were the days! One does not have to have a marketing degree to be able to promote Dominica. It is because we forget that Dominica is also judged by who we are as individuals that we fail to live up to our responsibility as citizens; and in so doing, fail to play our part in promoting our country. Maybe the repeated contact with the wearers of the shirts will make more Dominicans aware of their role in country development and promotion. The T-shirts along with the promotion of everything Dominica has to offer to its people is a step in the right direction. When we begin to appreciate who we are and what we have, we will be much more inclined to invite others to share in our “riches”. Keep promoting the hikes, get some river picnics going and lets enjoy Dominica.
All DDA is doing is waste. Order a bunch of T-shirts and magazines for all you to dump when no one is watching. Look at the crew, are these Dominica’s best minds? One failed initiative after another. DDA needs to first ask “I’m I Dominica?” This is supposed to be Dominica’s marketing agency, if there is one person trained in marketing in this agency, there is not two. You people understand why we are where we are? This is not just about tourism, the bigger picture here is marketing and you people have no clue what you all are doing. Sorry but I can’t help but say it as it is.
Too much money going down the drain in this bloody country and people are afraid to talk about it!
ppl like you with negative comments get no where far……THINK POSITIVE!
it is obvious you have a chip on your shoulder. KEEP IT MOVING!! Then tomorrow you will ask what is DDA doing. Retard!!!
When people demand value for money they got a cheap on their shoulder. A doctor’s basic salary is $3,400, these people make $5,000 basic. Most with associate degrees or non at all. Isn’t there reasons to question these people work as tax paying citizens in this place.
You people have no clue the level of wastage that exists in Discover Dominica Authority.
You mean to tell me day after day, year after year all we can come up with is T-shirts with some coshoney written on it…where are they great minds that sit in the air condition offices all day? chupes
Please keep these T-shirts away from the paros we have walking around Roseau. I saw one with a T-shirt saying the “Next Level” and trust me it was sending the wrong message.
Can the Tee shirts be ordered online?
This a great initiative. Need to know more about the educational aspect – What plan activities are you going to engage in to assist all citizens to effectively engage that Theme ‘I am Dominican, are You?