Today (Sept. 27, 2010) the United Nations World Tourism Organization celebrates World Tourism Day 2010 under the theme “Tourism and Biodiversity”. This theme reminds us in Dominica that we need to care for our natural and cultural resources to sustain the goods and services they provide for our tourism industry and thereby eradicate poverty.
Millions of visitors travel to experience nature’s majesty. We are proud to acclaim Dominica as the “Nature Island” and have the opportunity to secure part of the world’s tourism market share! As such, we are reminded to take action to protect our biodiversity through some of the following practices:
* Keep Dominica clean;
* Manage tours and large groups better to bring about most efficient use of sites;
* Diversify the product offerings to avoid overcrowding; and
* Use resources in a manner where our future generation will have these resources for their own use in good condition.
We commend those who continue to protect the destinations biodiversity and urge all tourism partners and stakeholders to strengthen their efforts on providing a sustainable tourism product that lives up to excellent quality products and services.
We also wish to commend all our Tourism partners and stakeholders who have been working with us at ensuring that our natural resources is a well defined product of a high quality and standard for showcasing to our visitors. The Ministry and DDA pledge its continued commitment to the overall development of tourism in Dominica.
On November 4, 2010, all communities in Dominica will have the opportunity to renew their vows towards maintaining a clean and green Dominica. The Prime Minister has mandated that we concentrate on beautification as a central theme to this year’s Community Day of Service. All of us in the Tourism Industry look forward to significant changes that these actions will have on Community Day of Service and the whole year through.
The theme for World Tourism Day was “Tourism and Biodiversity” which reminds us of the need to approach Tourism in a responsible manner so as to protect and preserve the rich Bioversity which is an inseparable part of our lives and our environment.
While Dominica’s Tourism development must be undertaken in a holistic way, ensuring that we participate in all areas of Tourism development to ensure socio economic growth and improvements in the standards of living and in the well being and health of the nation, we must do so in a responsible and sustainable manner ensuring that the products and services we offer are of a high standard and at the same time ensuring the protection and preservation of our natural and cultural heritage through Biodiversity conservation.
We must not however underscore the need to development the island to ensure its competitiveness in our efforts to promote a responsible and sustainable approach to Tourism. By that I mean we must not sacrifice our National development and our ability to ensure that our island’s infrastructure (1. improved road network and appropriate traffic, directional and safety signs, 2. improved water and sewerage facilities, 3. improved, more efficient and low cost renewable electrical energy, 4. improved telecommunication including cable TV service, 5. improved airport and seaport access*) is capable of adequately accommodating the local and tourist populations without putting too much pressure on these facilities and services thus making us uncompetitive in the area of infrastructure. Remember while we are a member of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, as independent tourism destinations, we each compete for the same visitors/tourist dollars which originate in North America (United States and Canada) and Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Scandinavia, etc). Therefore if we want to ensure that we can create the type of sustainable destination that we desire to create employment opportunities we must seriously consider an international airport capable of accommodating direct long haul flights to and from source markets in North America and Europe.
In terms of our superstructures, we must ensure that the accommodation sector is designed to be ecologically sound and must also be designed in a manner to encourage use of sustainable/renewable energy and to engage in sustainable management best practices that do not significantly impact the environment. The existing hotel plant must be upgraded to make properties more attractive and more marketable. We must also look at the issue of inadequate competitive tourist shopping facilities, need for competitive dining experiences, need for comptetive tourist attractins and activities and the need for competitive service delivery.
In the Domnica context Tourism cannot be seen as just nature. We must develop a holistic and integrated approach towards Tourism because the bottom line is competitiveness to ensure socio-economic sustainability.
I support the call to keep Dominica clean and green.
I support the call to seriously consider and to be mindful of the degradation of our natural environment and to engage in monitoring and evaluation of the natura environment to ensure that we do not compromise the carrying capacity of our natural environment and sites and attractions.
I support the call for diversifying product offering to avoid overcrowding (carrying capacity). and,
I support the call sustainable use of our natural resources to ensure enjoyment by future generations.
But unless we take a holistic integrated tourism development approach based on sound responsible and sustainable principles that will create socio-economic opportunities, spreading those opportunities in an equitable manner and improving the health and well being of the people of Dominica we would addressed the question of Tourism and Biodiversity.
I wish to encourage all Dominicans of all walks of life to come out on Community Day of Service and help with the clean up and beautification on the island. This is just one step in the process of making Dominica the competitive destination it ought to be…