High hopes for Tourism Master Plan

Tourists patronizing local vendors
Tourists patronizing local vendors

Minister for Information, Ambrose George, has said that the new strategies and partnerships in the new Draft Tourism Policy 2020 and the Tourism Master Plan 2022 will have a positive effect on the island’s hospitality industry.

“The ministry (of tourism) in collaboration with all Tourism stakeholders has recently completed the development of a new draft Tourism Policy 2020, Tourism Master Plan 2022, and a Strategic Plan for the Discover Dominica Authority.  Once formally approved by the cabinet, these will serve as a platform for the continued development of the sector over the next seven to ten years,” George said during a tourism award ceremony on Wednesday.

According to him, the draft Tourism master plan was presented to all Tourism Stake holders at a recently held Tourism Summit in March where input was provided for further refining of the plan. The final draft document has been received and will be presented to cabinet for approval, George noted.

“The Master Plan pupports that Dominica’s leisure segment of the Tourism industry now depends totally on its natural attractions as a motivation for tourists to visit,” George stated. “The natural attractions, though unique in many ways, are not sufficiently strong in themselves to attract the numbers required to support a significant tourism sector. It is a primary factor driven product strategy driven by limited investment insufficient accommodation and medium to low quality product.”

George noted that the plan proposes that to move to the next stage of development requires an “investment driven strategy with sustained investment” in all aspects of the industry namely infrastructure, destination marketing, human resource development, among others.

He pointed out that various investments such as the Melville Hall airport upgrade and road network developments, are in keeping with guidelines set by the plan. George indicated that access strategies have been developed and their implementation is being led by the Discover Dominica Authority.

“Access marketing strategies and increased human resource training will be spearheaded by the DDA in 2013-2014 with funding from the EU budget,” he revealed. “The plan challenges the sector to accomplish a 7 percent growth annually, in a bid to remain competitive bearing in mind that approximately 155 new rooms are currently being constructed and will be on the market by 2014.”

George noted that the goal to achieve 90,000 stay over visitors by 2015 is achievable as long as it is treated as a national goal and each individual makes a contribution.

“Every Dominican must commit to bring a friend or family member to Dominica for special events such as the Jazz and Creole, World Creole Music Festival, Carnival or Independence celebrations or at other times of the year, to explore the Waitukubuli National Trail or relax and unwind,” he said.

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21 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    May 4, 2013

    :-| for this to work the minister of tourism needs to support or focus on all the interesting area, not some

  2. Neutral
    May 4, 2013

    Roads, Roads, and more Roads. Sorry better roads that is. In addition to improved infrastructure an understanding of the important role that tourism play in the economy of Dominica is of prime importance.

  3. fire hym
    May 4, 2013

    I fed up with that man. Talk talk talk and more talk.
    Stop fooling yourself. You fool!

    We singing sanki for ambrose George.

    Tourism is dead dead dead. Paro take over tourism. See roso!!!

  4. LAZYMAN
    May 4, 2013

    What are you doing for the people of newtown?
    Please sir do us a favour and just resign. You playing busy again because ELECTION NEAR but we cannot be fooled. We have at least 7 other new candidates men and women all of whom are better than you.

  5. Watch This Space
    May 4, 2013

    Please Mr George, clean up Roseau first! I am just coming from town and drains stink and litter everywhere. Disgraceful.

  6. island worm
    May 4, 2013

    the d.n.o. is to bias with skerrit,they are covering his slackness.

    • island worm
      May 4, 2013

      they don’t want to accept the fact that he’s takig bribe.

  7. Nathaniel Peltier
    May 4, 2013

    Another master plan lets hope it goes better than the last one.

  8. judge ....
    May 4, 2013

    Is this the same Tourism Master Plan which points out that in 2013 with the building of a 30million dollar state college no provisions have been made for training in hospitality skills ?

  9. Truth be told
    May 4, 2013

    Oh yes, to get the vagrants off the streets, to rid Roseau of stray dogs, to keep our beaches and environs clean, to reduce the rising crime, to ensure that the rule of law takes precedence/prominence in Dominica, to improve customer service through basic etiquette and courtesy in Dominica, to get the stink/stench out of Roseau gutters, all of which are impacting negatively on our tourism product – you do indeed need a Tourism Policy 2020, Tourism Master Plan 2022, and a Strategic Plan for the Discover Dominica Authority! How many years now this ‘beh-bell’ Labour Government is in office and we keep going over the same problems with new “Master Plans” and no solutions in sight?

    • In His HANDS
      May 6, 2013

      8-O …..and give us an intenational airport….we the only one without. :twisted:

  10. Passenger Macka
    May 3, 2013

    The Tourism officials are confused and lack Foresight..

    With the Pull out of American Eagle it is a blow For sales into Dominica..

    Seaborne is only 34 seats smaller equipment while The Liat flight which is a 50 seater to San Juan Does not Originate In Dominica the flight comes en route from islands South of Dominica so most times you have or could Have passengers from St.Vincent and St.Lucia on Board.

    The American Eagle had the 44 and 72 ATR’s equipment Did San Juan Pr to Dominica and back to San Juan Pr.

    The American Eagle also had in most cases quick response for Extra Baggage Flights when loads were heavy.

    A Eagle “AA” is a brand and household name in The IATA World and North Americans saw that connection

    So infact Dominica has not gained much at all and Have actual lost with the Pull out of A Eagle.

  11. Francisco Telemaque
    May 3, 2013

    “He pointed out that various investments such as the Melville Hall airport upgrade and road network developments, are in keeping with guidelines set by the plan. George indicated that access strategies have been developed and their implementation.” (those are the words of the clown Ambrose George).

    Such comment turns the intestines of intelligent people inside out!

    This man is talking about a tourism plan to take effect in the year 2020, (seven years from now); however, his great master plan is to concentrate, or centered on hospitality.

    When he speaks of a hospitality master plan, to me that defines absolutely nothing, if he is talking about the hospitality industry, perhaps he intends to train people into the preparation of food, serving drinks as bartenders, and perhaps managing restaurants, or perhaps he is talking about a hospitality suit, which is nothing more than a room in a hotel, set aside for business purposes, and a place for socializing.

    Treating the visitor with common curtsey is something totally different!

    So what is this waste of time old man politician talking about?

    His master plan also includes investing money on Melville Hall Airport!

    That is the dumbest plan to be unveiled in the twentieth, and twenty-first century combined! How long will it take Ambrose and the government of Dominica to realize that as it stands Melville Airport Airport is a failed project, that airport is not serving any useful purpose as far as bringing more tourist into the country. The money burnt on landing lights, and the dredging (excavation) of the river bank, destroying the ecological system around Melville Hall, could have built a new International Airport in the back woods between Wesley and Woodford Hill.

    Melville Airport is a yellow and pink Elephant, that should be abandoned, when it is replaced with an International Airport; any fool by now should understand that there is nothing more that can be done to Melville Hall Airport that will cause any significant change in the amount of tourist entering Dominica via air!

    Nonetheless, politicians like this man will go to his grave defending the blunder they made when they listened to the advise of the Vintcentian who played in their brain telling them Dominica does not need an International Airport, while at the same time he was in negotiation contracting people who are now in process building an International Airport in St. Vincent which will be in operation in the not too distance future.

    However Ambrose and our government alternative is to spend more money on something which has already proved to be a failure.

    Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque

    • In His HANDS
      May 6, 2013

      I guess they have not heard that Dominica is in the top 10 least visited country in the world…either that or they just don’t care ….politics is more important to them than country.They do just merely enough so people can say they are doing something.We need leadership that have selfless passion for Dominica. And no, UWP is not the answer either.

  12. May 3, 2013

    no intl airport, no tourism

  13. vexness
    May 3, 2013

    All talk and no walk lol 2020 – 2022 we’ll hav time die…mark d date again…these ministers have a diarrhoea in their mouth and is only when they come out there it will stop. :twisted:

    • Laughing
      May 3, 2013

      Just what I was thinking while reading this. And….there are more than enough rooms and accommodations around the Island. Give me one year and all will be fixed. DA people won’t be happy though!!!!!

  14. TRUEMAN
    May 3, 2013

    ***MORE INFO**

    It would be good to have more info on the “details” aspect of the plan.

    I would think that this master plan would have some type of organized & effecient security for our tourist visitors???

    Though we are horrified when we Dominicas are victims of criminal attacks when it happens…..

    BUT we must feel even more “HORRIFIED & FURIOUS” when visitors are subjected to any kind of criminal attack.

    Let’s more proactive with our security & safety. This, we do not want to live up to chance.

    -Thanks

    • censorship
      May 4, 2013

      Only thing i did not agree with totally is that the public should always be given the full details of everything proposed by the Government. Its not like we play our role anyway. we are told that vending in certain areas create a problem and we ignore. We are told that our approach to visitors need to be improved and we say they have money and are used to worse so we not changing.

    • In His HANDS
      May 6, 2013

      More info? He has none ! He already told us more than he knows!

  15. Patience
    May 3, 2013

    Tourism is now like Agriculture… DEAD

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