The recently established Dominica Community Tourism Association is set to be launched formally this afternoon at the Geneva Heritage Tourism Park in Grand Bay from 3:00 p.m.
The inauguration and launching of the association, which is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Tourism and Legal Affairs through the SFA 2006 Tourism Sector Development Programme and stakeholders involved in community-based tourism activities in Dominica, is expected to unveil the association’s constitution and hear addresses from various officials including the Minister of Tourism & Legal Affairs, Ian Douglas. The ceremony will also bring together leaders of the many community-based tourism enterprises from across Dominica.
The Ministry of Tourism is quite pleased with the efforts of the communities and fully supports this initiative.
According to the Minister of Tourism Ian Douglas; “this initiative is an extension of our ongoing efforts at the Ministry of Tourism to develop community tourism in Dominica. We pledge our continued support in the areas of technical support and marketing and other related areas.”
The association was conceived by local community tourism practitioners who felt the need to create an entity that would represent their interests and help mobilize technical, financial and human resources to advance their cause and to enhance the range of products and services being offered by this segment of the tourism industry.
As a result, the process towards the establishment of the association was facilitated by the Ministry of Tourism with funding and technical assistance provided by the European Union/Government of Dominica funded SFA 2006 Tourism Sector Development Programme.
The association will be registered as a non-profit entity and will be made up of community tourism groups around the Island. The main objectives of the Association will be to create an enabling environment for sustainable growth of community tourism organizations in the tourism sector and to serve as a voice for community tourism in Dominica.
The association will also undertake joint fundraising and marketing activities and serve as a link to the Ministry of Tourism and Discover Dominica Authority.
The SFA 2006 Tourism Sector Development Programme is a two year programme aimed at improving the competitiveness of the Tourism Sector in Dominica through capacity building, marketing and rural tourism development.
I think this is a good initiative but should be opened to the wider public not just stake holders in the tourism communities. One must remember that community tourism does not just include the stake holders. It includes everyone.