Marketing of the destination through the region with Caribbean Roadshows

Roseau, Dominica – (September 8, 2010) – The Discover Dominica Authority continues to enforce its mandate to increase the number of visitors to the  island and the amount of revenue generated in the country by ensuring that it reaches out to its neighbors throughout the region.

Officers of the Marketing Department recently concluded a two-week long exercise to inform and educate the region about the attributes and advantages to visit the Nature Island. CEO and Director of Tourism of the Discover Dominica Authority, Mr. Colin Piper comments that “The Authority is continuing to ensure that visitors are attracted to the island and that continued efforts are in place to ensure that we are competitive with the products that we offer to the visitor”.

The Roadshow started from the island of Tortola, then onwards to St. Maarten, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Barbados and ended in Trinidad. During this time, presentations were shown on the island to encourage the agents and operators to sell the destination and book trips for their clients to the Nature Island. “Dominica is a destination like no other, filled with lush green rainforests, rich culture, known to have the most centenarians in the Caribbean and which offers a variety of health and wellness options” comments Elizabeth Wayland, Head of Marketing. “It caters to the needs of the present generation and is only a few miles away.”

Along with the promotion of the destination, the World Creole Music Festival was one of the main features of entertainment being presented to the islands.

For more information on Dominica, contact Discover Dominica Authority at 767 448 2045. Or, visit Dominica’s official website: www.discoverdominica.com or follow Dominica on Twitter and Facebook and take a look at our videos on YouTube.

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13 Comments

  1. Antiguan
    September 10, 2010

    DOMINICANS HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE WHOLE WORLD IS READING YOUR NEGATIVE COMMENTS AND IF YOU THINK OF YOUR COUNTRY FELLO WMEN LIKE THAT , THEN YOU WILL CAUSE PEOPLE TO HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPAC T ON YOUR ISLAND.

  2. Gary
    September 10, 2010

    @Watcher:

    Watcher what nonsense your are talking about. Mr Telemaque is promoting himself. I told him he does not know anything about The Travel Industry and how it works instead he directs me to a web -site promoting himself and in his reply he talks about himself. I did not ask him what he owns or what type of car he drives.

    You watcher why don’t you run for the Mayor of Roseau, instead of just criticizing your country, which is very easy, all the ideas you got, go get elected and implement them instead of constantly complaining and criticizing. Let me remind you If you have no will to change it, you have no right to criticize it.

  3. Watcher
    September 9, 2010

    @Gary: U=You see you must first investigate before making comments. LOL.

    This also goes to other persons using the DNO forum.

    Watcher is watching.

  4. Watcher
    September 9, 2010

    @Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque: Even me Francisco have given you you little fire (objectively though not insutlive) but I was very happy that you gave your website. I just browsed through and I definitely will find some time to go thru the website much more thoroughly.

    Indeed I have always asked persons to desist from insulting and refrain from saying what they do not know. My comments I always try to be as truthful with facts as much as I can be. So people you all see although the gentleman – Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque is critical sometimes but I know he can be very objective. Give Jacket his Jacket and Margaret her lipstick. Francisco a ? for you. What does the Etienne and Dods in your name signifies? Is it part of you family ancestral name? I am an Etienne Mother side.

    This man is a true born Dominican and we can see that he is a true patriot and he takes interest in the country and is in fact promoting the island. Perhaps you can contact DFC and do some promotion for them since you are already in that field so they not have useless costly Island hopping excursions in the future. LOL. I am sure the fee would be minimal.

    DFC I recommend Francisco Etienne Dods Telemaque as someone who you can use to promote the WCMF in parts of the USA. LOL. BOD take note.

    I appologise Mr Telemaque – you are indeed worth your boastings. LOL.

  5. @Gary:

    Madam/Sir, you ask me a question, I only hope you can deal with the answer you get!

    In respect to what I am doing to promote Dominica, I suppose it is a lot more than you have done, if you did anything thus far.

    I critique anything that is a waste of time, and does not make any sense at all.

    Now, back to what I’ve done thus far?

    In promoting Dominica; I maintain a Website on the Internet for more than ten years now with the map of Dominica on the center of my homepage. Go to http://www.yvonnedods.com and check it out. In addition to that of the several Sports Cars that I own, my name Telemaque is the registered number on my plates; spelled in different ways, and on my registration plate you will also find the words written ” The Commonwealth Of Dominica W. I. okay!

    Now, I drive across America, Mexico, and Canada every Summer, except this Summer, because I was sick.

    The type of motor vehicles that I drive are high profile, and very expensive, they attract attention, thus the many people who have noticed the words ” The Commonwealth Of Dominica” have many times question me as to where is the location of The Commonwealth Of Dominica, so it would appear to me that my method of advertising Dominica may have worked.

    Is that good enough for you?

    If I were to give you a peak into my living room, the flag of Dominica fly’s there, and I placed it in a position that when my Air Conditioner cuts in it fly as if it was attached to a fifteen feet pole.

    Beside I have a very unique name, that is not easily pounced, that of itself usually aroused curiosity, which always leads me to explain to those interested that I am from The Commonwealth Of Dominica.

    And mind you I have influenced many people from a far as Deutschland (Germany ) to visit Dominica.

    Here you have my account of what I’ve done, and how I am doing it: You are now free to detail to me what have you done lately in your effort to promote the Nature Island.

    I am yours truly,

    The King of mud, the King of Wesley!

    Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque

  6. Watcher
    September 9, 2010

    @Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque: Yes Francisco I do agree with your comments. good . What Caribbean Road Show? Wasting tax payers money as I said before. Pls Discover Dominica why did you all not pay the arrears owed to some of the service providers who is owed money for WCMF 2009 instead of spending for Carib Road show seewo. Pay the people and dem. They have worked already and do take it out on the vendors whom you want to increase from an already expensive $5,000.00 to an exhorbitant $7,500.00. You want to kill them. Remember last year WCMF was not well attended and some of the bars did very badly. Did not even make back the $5,000.00.

    Yes it is only boastful that we have been to one end of the Caribbean to the other.
    Ok you all travel already. Come down on the field and do something positive to make up for your party spree. Address the real issues – educating the population how to deal witht tourist. At the Ports of Entry especially, on the Road, bus etc everywhere. Get the less unfortunate off the road to a place where they can be used to do something better than begging or harassing. That one should have been looked after a long time but it is not too late. better late than never. Develop an initiative to get them off the streets of Roseau and probably to a place where their skills (probably bush washing and other skills they may have – to clean various sites) can be used together with counselling and feed ing them. We can probably use them to do something useful wherever we house them and out of the streets of Roseau.

  7. Gary
    September 9, 2010

    @Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque:

    First of, I will ask you Mr Telemaque what are you doing to promote your country. Why are you so quick to criticize. You’re criticizing something you know nothing about. It seems you do not know how the Travel Industry works, pity your ignorance, some times you talk so much nonsense it just bewilders me.

  8. Sad
    September 9, 2010

    Waste of f@#kin time and money as usual!! I am so embarassed to be Dominican when I hear and see the nonsense that goes on. Educated but not professional sums up a lot of the S%#t that goes on.

  9. ” The Roadshow started from the island of Tortola, then onwards to St. Maarten, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Barbados and ended in Trinidad. During this time, presentations were shown on the island to encourage the agents and operators to sell the destination and book trips for their clients to the Nature Island. “Dominica is a destination like no other,”( Piper).

    No wonder the Ship Carnival has pulled!

    The notion that a Road-show, extending from one end of the Caribbean to the next: from Tortola in the North, to Trinidad, in the South is Marketing the Nature island seems to be the most ridiculous way to promote Dominica as a tourrist destination; except if we are only concentrating on the nationals (natives) of the islands we visited to become the main source of the tourrist who visits Dominica.

    The worst part of it all is that king Piper emphasized that ” Presentations were shown on the island to encourage the agents and operators to sell the destination and book trips for their clients to the nature island.”

    Who are the agents, this man is talking about, and who are their clienteles?

    Here we continue our dependency on Caribbean people; rather than ourselves. The Agents which Piper referred to and suggest they encourage people; I assume after they end their visit to whichever island, that they spend additional money to come to visit his Nature Island.

    Can anyone believe that so called intelligent people’s thinking are so warped, twisted, and out of shape? It seems to me reality does not exists in the mind of the majority of our people.

    Why should we Dominicans depend on others to encourage people to visit Dominica?

    Everybody is struggling, fighting for a piece of the pie, who has the time to look out for Dominica’s interest except interested Dominica Born?

    The Dominican mentality at this time seems to be in top geear!

    Every Tourrist Bureau through out the Caribbean at some point and time advertise their island internationally, they buy advertising spots on Television, throughout the major city’s of the World, and most particularly in the United State, Canada, and Britain, since the greater amount of tourrist who visits the Caribbean derives from the countries mentioned.

    I think the trip across the Caribbean proves futile, it’s an none-productive effort, a total waste of time, and money; the only thing benefited from that is; in the end someone will boast ” well I’ve been to one end of the Caribbean, to the other,” the same way the individual who claims that he took a trip to hell, and back from Venezuela, to the ends of the earth, where he discovered that Roseau, and Dominica for that matter is cleaner than any other place he has visited.

    Something is wrong with that person, however, I am not prepared to identify his problem!

    However, that’s the mentality of the majority of our people, It matters not how many times you send a floating Nature island across the Caribbean, in the hope of attracting nationals of the other Caribbean islands to Dominica, that will produce no fruit, because just about everything we have in Dominica, are found on all the other islands of the Caribbean.

    Do the right thing, advertise in the appropriate media, repair the damages which caused the Cruse Ship to remove us from its itinerary, treat the tourrist with respect when they visit, and they will return, bringing others along with them.

    Simple as that!

    Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque

  10. Watcher
    September 9, 2010

    Take note Discover Dominica Staff what Garcon had to say. Well said Garcon

  11. Watcher
    September 9, 2010

    Roadshow – a new one – spending and living in luxury at taxpayers expense just like they went to venezuela to promote WCMF and overnighted at the most expensive hotels. Position for persons who enjoy going on these excursion.

    Mr Piper, we have other means to advertise not necessariy spend all that money uselessly for “roadshows” . after the “roadshow” for visitors to come, then the service is bad at point of entry etc. Long line at the terminal – no air condition, uncomfortable, fainting etc. I experienced it myself. What about the welcome at the terminals and airports? This has to be looked at and persons going thru customs and immigration promptly and not as it is today. Why are we subjected to certain question – where u come from etc when you return to your own country and home after going out for a few days. This should be taken care of on the forms. Visitors and foreigners should be dealt with promptly. Look into the possibility of having someone who can assist those who cannot read and write to help with their forms. Put a sample of the Form(very big) in a conspicuous place to guide those have to full the form. It is so fustrating when some gets to the counter and probably the form is not filled properly. Here is my previous suggestions for the person to go down the line to assist and ensure that documentation are in order.

    After the “Roadshow” especially good time before WCMF, the service providers cannot be paid. Why Mr Piper? To many persons go out there to spree and enjoy themselves. Not using the $250,000.00 (Gov’t subvention) wisely. 14 years and WCMF should have some level of self sufficiency at least break even and pay you debts. Now you want to ,increase the vendors stall to some $7,500.00 from $5,000.00. Alas … it is already hard at 5 grand. The vendors have to work hard to provide food and drinks.. this is hard you know.. and have to sell the first $5,000 for payment.. Untop of that service providers are not paid.

    Put your act together good this year for WCMF and pay your outstanding bills and ensure you meet the bill of this year. Tickets have gone up.. Use the services out there to market. You have Face book where you have lot of readers. Dominica Newsonline and the other social services. You have Embassies all over. Use the new technology eh and stop those spreeing parties.
    Look at the expenses side. Don’t kill the goose that lay the golden egg or if you heed, we will kill something which now is the 14th event. Other countries are watching to take this over. Remember last year it was poorly attended . Had it not been for the French Crowd. Many of the Vendors lost their money. Take all this into account and don’t try to bleed the vendors by asking for more money. Look critically at the other side – expense and yes market locally and internationally but no “Roadshows” spending spree for some of your employees. Let them go on the ground in Dominica so we can upgrade our services and deportment, mannerism, schools, take up the litter problems, Good customer service at our points of entry. Smile smile . Let us start where we lacked . See what has happenned .. Crusie line pull out. Discover Dominica and the other entity – wake up and do your part locally first. Prepare the country to receive the visitors we want to increase so bad. Prepare vendors, esp bus drivers (some charge exhorbitant prices once they notice that the persons are foreigners). This have to stop. Put your monitoring officers out on the field not sitting only in the airconditioned offices. See what is happenning out there and then we can see things happenning.

    Thanks DNO readers for bearing with me on my long comments.

  12. Cyril Volney
    September 8, 2010

    Hopefully as we concentrate on attracting visitors, we also focus on the service levels at entry points, where 1st, and lasting impressions, are made.

  13. Garçon
    September 8, 2010

    The Discover Dominica Authority missed a great opportunity to increase the number of visitors to Dominica by advertising at the Labor Day carnival in NYC, where millions of people turn out to find out about the various islands.

    They could have sponsored a band with Dominicans showing of our carnival, creole celebrations, music festivals, ect. Such a band could have flyers being handed out o the millions of watcher-by and huge banners would adore the trucks showing off Dominica to everyone.

    But this suggestive form of selling the country would only require one member from the Discover Dominica Authority to travel out from Dominica and am sure such is not in the minds of its staff as most of them organize huge “excursions” in the name of promoting the island.

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