The Ministry of Tourism has launched a new marketing strategy to market Dominica which will be targeting the French Caribbean and France.
A two-day tradeshow, to be hosted this weekend at the Galleria Shopping Mall in Martinique, is one of the initiatives to further promote the sector.
The Ministry also working closely with the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) in that regard.
A number of hoteliers, DDA staff, a Kalinago Cultural Group, among others, are currently in Martinique for the tradeshow.
“The government has increased the marketing budget and Tourism Minister Senator Robert Tonge has a new strategy for tourism, so the idea is to focus more on the French Caribbean and France,” Marketing Executive of DDA, Ezra Winston told Dominica News Online during an interview in Martinique on Wednesday. “This has been our biggest markets so he decided to put more money into marketing and promotion in this destination.”
He continued,”What we are going to do now is go on an all out marketing and promotion campaign in the French Caribbean starting this month, so we have a strategy we are going to use, we have different methods we are going to use to bring French West Indians to Dominica.”
Winston stated further that the Ministry of Tourism has embarked on a similar drive in the past, “but this time around we are using different methods that we never used before. We are implementing new ways.”
“Some of the new things we are going to be doing are billboards in both Guadeloupe and Martinique to create awareness,” he explained. “We are going to do it through radio and TV advertising as well as newspaper and online.”
Winston stated that hosting more tradeshows and exhibitions form also part of the plan, which will include the French media, tour operators and travel agents.
“We want them to experience for themselves so they can better sell the product, destination Dominica,” he indicated.
Winston said the Tourism Ministry and DDA will be working closely with the hoteliers in this new strategy.
“In an effort to attract more French visitors to Dominica, hoteliers have decided to slash prices,” he revealed. “They are offering a 30 percent discount to visitors from the French Caribbean and France.”
he stated that Minister Tonge will visit Guadeloupe and Martinique later this month to promote Dominica and World Créole Music Festival (WCMF).
The tradeshow Martinique will begin at 9:00 am to 8:30 pm on Friday and 9:00 am to 9:00 pm on Saturday.
Someone is always excited to see new things but there must be an attractive catch…the only attractive catch in Dominica are the rivers,vegetation,sun and sea. There must be quality goods in the shops ,at competitive prices,,,the town especially needs proper side walks because it is the gov’t responsibility if someone makes a serious accident ,the abandoned buildings should be torn down,rusty gates and stagnant water should be sorted out.The price for water should decrease ,the port workers should take a serious course in order to learn how to talk to visitors ,,visitors need entertainments at nights also…police security should be found in all places where visitors spend time in groups,,,
sometimes I wonder where does our patriotism lies….when they try to do something we cry it down…when they do nothing we cry them down…when will we as a people realize that governments alone cannot build prosperity in a country…the time it takes some of you to spew all that garbage on DNO…if you would spend a little time and effort to think of something constructive that could help elevate your country instead of always posting negativity, maybe Dominica will be the paradise that it was intended to be…and as for those like Telemaque that is not planning on returning to his homeland, I am guessing you have nothing to return too….some people left home and does not have a pot to piss in and they turn around and want to blame others for their misfortune…”sakway mal twavay”.
As long as the Strategy includes the two best known Dominicans in France and the French Antilles, Gordon Henderson and Ophelia Marie as Ambassadors to these markets, then it my stand a chance of success!
This guy is talking a heap of bull dung – nothing but hot air and press time. You need to create a brand before you can market the brand. What brand do you guys have to sell? There’s nothing in this Country to attract tourist, period! How are people going to travel to and from – air, sea, land? Allu too sote! cure the boo boo, stop putting bandages on it!
It sounds like a good idea but tidy Roseau up a bit.Buisnesses should uplift their shops and cafe alike .
Bed abd breakfast should improve what they are offering nice environments should be created.
For example extend the Gardens plant exotic flowers and plants.
we need another park maybe slightly outside Roseau
The gardens should be a hi spot for tourists who wonder around the town.However really poor floral displays and incapable of even keeping the garden road free from huge pot holes..
Promoting Dominica for WCMF is still limited thinking. Short stay trips should be promoted.
Take the boat on a Friday afternoon, arrive in the evening, check into your hotel, enjoy the drinks. The next day you have your adventure specials (whale watching, hiking, sulphur springs, so on and so) or community focused activities, each village has a feast right, let the people take in the culture. Sunday light shopping and head back home.
Unless we clean up this STINKING cesspool called ROSEAU we will never have repeat visitors or long stay overs.That is we’re revenue is created not with cruise ships.
What a joke; what difference will that make? If French island tourist was interested in Dominica, you would not have to market in a French Caribbean islands; what does Dominica have to offer that people living on any French island in the region does not have on their island; and would visit Dominica for this special treat?
How are you going to market in France, when you do not have commercial flights originating in France heading to Dominica. Who are you people trying to impress with such foolishness! You are a bunch of babbling waste of time people!
Your country stinks, there are very little tourist accommodation as far as decent hotels are concern, you have no class Restaurants nor places of entertainment. What marketing can you do to attract even Dominicans like me to return, when you do not have a common International Airport, who is going to fly from France land on an Island and then fly to Dominica, or on a boat just say they been to Dominica. Just blowing in the wind as…
Just blowing in the wind as usual!
All this stupid commotion fooling themselves, while they ignore the fact Dominica’s greates, and perhaps the worst obstacle is the lack of an International Airport.
As I said before if you people have knowledge, and skills to climb into the heavens and write the name Dominica in the middle of the sky where it takes the place of the sun, moon and stars, where it will be seen in every nation on the face of the earth, you would still be wasting your time!
All these idiots does is spend money to buy votes to win elections in order to secure their personal welfare, but where it pertains to putting some effort out to invest money into something as relevant, and important as an International Airport they say “we doh want it because Antigua and Barbados have one already.”
This is nonsense, i cannot believe people getting a salary from tax payers for this crap. St.Kitts had an increase in cruise ships, u fellas lazy & incompetent.
dominica is really a strange place and that’s why it’s considered the fools paradise..
why does the minister have to travel to the french islands to promote the WCMF.
that should fall under the DFC/WCMF and agents in that field the marketing agents etc..
he the droll minister should try to uplift himself by reading and finding modules for policy measures in the industry, go read and see what your bros and sis are doing..the F-Reports against the tourism industry by agencies across the globe, go read and try to if u can work out a ting or two….SMH……..
Boss man u don’t need to travel that’s not your talent to market period!!!
that’s why dominica continues to be the poorest and the slowest in the eastern caribbean due to a keyhole mindset….what a joke….
FAILED BUNCH OF INEPT, PUSSYFOOTING CLUELESS SUPPORTERS