The Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Discover Dominica Authority and the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association begin the observance of the month of May as Tourism Awareness Month.
Given the challenges facing the sector in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the focus will be on climate resiliency in the tourism sector.
Scheduled activities include radio programmes, social media posts, visits to schools, activities for students, outreach to tourism stakeholders, DOMFESTA and Jazz ‘n Creole events.
Director of Tourism Colin Piper states, “The purpose of Tourism Awareness Month is to continually raise public awareness of the importance of the tourism sector to our economy. Specifically, we want to inform and educate the public that we call can play our part in making our tourism industry better.”
This year’s activity will focus on educating tourism stakeholders on how they can prepare for natural disasters, determining the concerns of the stakeholders and developing policies and plans to address those concerns particularly around the climate resilient thrust.
DOMFESTA and Hike Fest events are also included as part of the activities for Tourism Awareness Month.
Key activities for the month are as follows:
May 5 Hike Fest – Pond Casse to Emerald Pool
May 7 Hotel site visits
May 9 – 18 DOMFESTA Art Exhibition
May 10 Tourism Youth Congress
May 10 Tourism Stakeholder Meeting – Wotten Waven
May12 Hike Fest Kids Day – Boeri Lake
May 12 Persuasion 2, Clara House, The Lounge (a Jazz ‘n Creole fringe event)
May 13 She’s Royal Mother’s Day Brunch at Atlantique View (a Jazz ‘n Creole fringe event)
May 14 – 18 Schools Lecture Series
May 16 Primary Schools Kweyol Spelling Bee
May 17 DOMFESTA Explosion (a Jazz ‘n Creole fringe event)
May 17 Tourism Stakeholder Meeting – Soufriere/Scotts Head
May 18 Jazz on the Boardwalk, Fort Young Hotel
May 18 Jazz ‘n Grill, Tulip Restaurant, Picard
May 19 Hike Fest
May 19 Jazz on the Beach at Purple Turtle Beach
May 20 Jazz ‘n Creole
May 23 Tourism debate on Chalk & Chatter
May 24 Hike Fest Syndicate Loop Trail
May 24 Tourism Stakeholder meeting – Portsmouth
May 28 – June 2 Masterville Joseph photography exhibition
May 28 Hotel site visit
May 30 Tourism quiz on Chalk & Chatter
May 31 DIFA End of Year concert
May 31 Tourism Stakeholder Meeting – Kalinago Territory
June 2 DOMFESTA Song Contest
Our tourism product has the potential to be top notch, but many of the players here think it is ust a vaikivai thing. A 2×4 and plywood venture. we need to develop our night life. After the people hike and snorkel what do they do in the evening? where can they go to get a good meal outside of their hotel at night past 5pm? Our sights need to be PROPERLY maintained and regularly upgraded. We need to create new sights and attractions. we need to upgrade our port facilities. you cannot tell me you still want tourisnt to get off a boat at Fondcole Woodridge Bay and not be ashamed of the state of the deep water Harbour. Why isnt the birth at portsmouth used? why arent tourism products developed and encouraged in the north? why are we stuck on emerald pool and trafalgar falls? why dont we fix the road in the Botanical Gardens? we talk about tourism, but we dont know what tourism is it seems. Our hospitality is a laissez fait one and we are only hurting ourselves.
Yes we all in it. Oops, no tourists here. I wonder why?
The month of may should be used by Satan, the root of all evil, the great deceiver, his majesty rosevelt punjab skeritt and his evil angels as a month to thoroughly prepare for next tourist season. Dominica needs to become great again. I cannot believe we claim to be the nature isle but our tourist figures are so low. Did Maria cause that too? Sure did not. Things have been in decline from since when donkeys cloud sing. Time to cast these labor demons into the bottomless pit