Tonge announces increase in cruise ship passengers for 2017-2018

A cruise ship in port in Dominica

Although Dominica experienced a drop in cruise ship passengers in the past two years, Tourism Minister Senator Robert Tonge has announced that there will be an increase of over 50,000 passengers for the period 2017 to 2018, as compared to previous years.

The Minister made these remarks during a town hall meeting in the Community of Soufriere on Wednesday night.

“We have just reviewed our cruise ship listing for the period 2017-2018, we’ve reconfirmed with all of the ships to make sure that they are coming and I can say to you we gonna have an increase of over 50,000 people coming to Dominica as compared to the previous years,” he said.

Senator Tonge stated that the Ministry of Tourism is speaking with the relevant stakeholders on a regular basis to ensure Dominica receives better scores from cruise ship passengers.

He said that the increase in arrivals expected for the 2017-2018 season is going to put a lot of pressure on all of us.

“It means there are going to be more people, you going to have more persons trying to get business…It means you going to have more people going to sites so we have to try to reduce overcrowding, to make sure persons have the best possible experience in Dominica,” Tonge stated.

He said that however Dominica’s scores are increasing which means “we are making the possible changes we just have to continue making those changes.”

Statistics from the Caribbean Tourism Association show that there has been a drop in cruise arrivals to Dominica in the past two years.

The statistics show in 2016 Dominica received 277,132 cruise ship visitors as compared to 279,341 in 2015.

That represents a 1.6 percent decrease for 2016.

In 2014, the island received 286,575 cruise ship visitors. Compared to the 2015 figure of 279,342, this represents a 2.5 percent drop.

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29 Comments

  1. G
    April 22, 2017

    Tong needs to keep his tongue in his mouth he is uttering rubbish over n over again :(

  2. flipside
    April 22, 2017

    Oh well, never mind.

  3. DON
    April 21, 2017

    I am truly DISHARTENED by the failure of the government and also the people responding to the post as to what the real issue is. Cleaning Roseau is a very small part in the grand scheme of what needs to be done not just to bring back visitors but to keep them coming back in larger numbers year after year. Number one is the events planned around cruise ship arrival such as Steele bands welcoming the visitors. Hand the tourist coming of the Ship a small hand waving flag saying welcome to Dominica. Put made in Dominica up front ahead of the made in china products that every port the tourist land at sells. Put the local hand food snacks and drinks on the bay front and change all the vendors to a better organized and clean classy affair that will be inviting to our visitors. Last but not least, EDUCATE and TRAIN vendors as well as anyone involved in the tourism industry in the art of dealing with visitors in the most inviting polite and courteous manner. All for One and One for All

    • Erasmus B. Black
      April 21, 2017

      @Don: I can understand why you are “dishartened” Your motto “all for one and one for all” was used by the three musketeers to mean that one person represents all, and that all must do everything for one. This is not the brotherhood the writers of the Dominica motto envisioned when they came up with our motto “All for each, and each for all.”

      • Erasmus B. Black
        April 21, 2017

        Not motto but the last words of our national anthem.

      • Erasmus B. Black
        April 21, 2017

        Not motto but the last words of our national anthem: “all for each and each for all.”

  4. Clergy Man
    April 21, 2017

    Agriculture has given to be TOP priority.
    As fake as he is, this increase is testament that when these people research around they find Dominica to have the least crime per capita in the wider Caribbean. Truth, but still Agriculture has given to be TOP priority.

    • Clergy Man
      April 21, 2017

      Agriculture has to be given TOP priority. Or die trying tourism.

  5. Grand Bayrian
    April 20, 2017

    This Minister of Tourism is talking from both sides of his mount.

  6. Helas!
    April 20, 2017

    SAME HERE!!! 2016 / 2017 season
    Tourism Minister, Robert Tonge, has revealed that despite negative reports and rumours, there will be an increase of over 15 percent in cruise passengers to Dominica for the 2016/2017 cruise ship season.

    “This year, in terms of cruise visitors, we had about 276,000 persons coming to our shore. Many people try to fool you, and they say ‘well, it’s not increasing’, but I can tell you, this season, for the cruise business, our numbers are going up to 319,000 people,” he said, on Tuesday, at a DLP rally in Soufriere. “That is an increase of over 15 percent.”

    Tongue remarked that tourism benefits every citizen, whether directly or indirectly.

    Statistics from the Caribbean Tourism Association showed disappointing figures for the just ended 2015/2016 cruise ship season, with the island receiving 165 calls and a total of 284,000 passengers.

    This represented a 2.5 percent drop as compared to 2014 when Dominica received 286,575 cruise ship visitors.

  7. joe
    April 20, 2017

    I am a citizen of Dominica and was on a cruise recently that stopped in Dominica. From all the Caribbean countries visited Dominica dock was the least maintained. Welcome to dominic. Mofos its Dominica. The Bayfront was closed so like the other countries have a welcome platform setup. Every other country had a sign to take pictures. Happy to be home but much work is needed to be done.

  8. Kafwane wedgehart
    April 20, 2017

    Those announcements come as high tides from the Atlantic coast; next on line will be the minister of agriculture and he will reveal the new market of pork that was established in heaven to feed the disciples and their families but that he is waiting for the minister of public works to build a stairway to heaven so the shipments can start next week.

    • Kewl
      April 24, 2017

      That’s the best laugh I’ve had in months . I’m at work and everyone around me is asking what I am giggling about? They won’t understand so more laughs for me.
      Inspite of all the mess Dominicans haven’t lost their sense of humor.

  9. April 20, 2017

    With people seeing the video all over the world now , of this man beating the other with a cutlass in pte Michel , and the police is doing nothing , you think people will come to Dominica ? a- wa, I am staying in America and deal with Trump instead.[where is Mr Cabon the chief of police? is he in a medicated state of mind?.

  10. Locs Girl
    April 20, 2017

    I believe this is a yearly thing and then when the season ends, he comes back with a different outcome. As someone said, I hope Roseau will be kept spick and span.

  11. 5 more years!
    April 20, 2017

    Ya right. Can you tell us how may cruise passengers will be visiting from April 14th to September 2017? its a big fat 0, just like what you are offering public servants. Every year you continue to make projections by putting a number of cruise ships on your list and then you tell us they cancelled. Ian was a million times better that you.

  12. Red's
    April 20, 2017

    Dominican keep your mind positive…U guys live for those POLITICIANS
    Everything have a negative an positive….We need to love our country more
    Not red or blue..

  13. REAL!!!!!!
    April 20, 2017

    Tongue please give us breakdown of the ships, expected passengers and time of arrival. So we can get properly prepared for this increase in tourism arrival.

    Sure you won’t provide it because we will hold your foot to fire or you may also be reading from a blank sheet of paper.

    Quality of a statement is always supported by data: 1. ships name . 2. Passenger expected from each ships. 3. Month of Arrival.

    SMH….Incompetency runs in this gentleman veins.

  14. Texanica
    April 20, 2017

    every year Tonge coming with some figures. just very careless with meaningless numbers. increase and decrease equals same results. no money spending, no where to go, bad roads, Thank God for running water. just imagine if we had no waterfalls.

  15. %
    April 20, 2017

    When the DLP clowns are making fun of the LABOURITES at those town hall meetings, they are fully aware of the type of people that constitute the audience…One day you all will come to my village, for me to question you all dummies about MONFARED, CORALLO, Lapseng, etc….I will ask Skerrit why is it that the name Monfared is so bitter in his mouth. I will ask him why cant he help Venezuela after he suck part of the country’s resources dry. I will ask Skerrit about transparency and accountability of our CBI programme. I will ask Skerrit about who our ambassadors are. I will tell Skerrit that issuance of Diplomatic passports to so many CRIMINALS cannot be a mistake..I would ask Skerrit about the Kempinski hotel. Who does the hotel belong to? And the excess money sir?
    Mr Tonge you are Dominica, and most likely the Commonwealth’s worst tourism Minister..Do you walk in Roseau? You are shameless and brazen. Go tell Skerrit to fix the sidewalks, hose down the place especially the

  16. Cee Bee Eye
    April 20, 2017

    Let the day parlaying continue …

  17. Fedup #1
    April 20, 2017

    In an article date 9 June 2016 on DNO, the same minister predicted a 15% increase for the year 2016/2017. The statistics show that the actual figure was a 1.6% decrease. DNO, could you give me one good reason why I should listen to what the chief propagandist for the Labour party (2nd to Tony Astaphan) has to say? This guy is one of the BIGGEST disappointments of late.

  18. One plus one = 2
    April 20, 2017

    Increase in ship cruise? Only if Tone is referring to the eleven oil tankers register Ed in DOMINICA to corruptly and illegally help Iran evade sanction, will be coming to Dominica.

  19. Erasmus B. Black
    April 20, 2017

    Here we go again with more politics of hope! “We gonna have an increase of over 50,000 people coming to Dominica…” Why does the Honourable Minister feel compelled to engage in the politics of hope and boast about cruise ship passengers who are going to come to Dominica? What is the guarantee that they will come?

    • April 20, 2017

      Dominicans it\’s time to question what is coming from the Government and it\’s representatives starting from the PM, The USA don\’t allow any one to mess with their country so if we are really helping Iran to evade sanctions they will come down hard on us, I hope my people knows that corruption have it\’s price and it\’s always the innocent people who suffer.

  20. weh
    April 20, 2017

    I hope they can keep Roseau clean

  21. star
    April 20, 2017

    tonge u self i fed up with u.. stupes..

  22. Anthony Ismael, Graduate Degree in Kicks Off
    April 20, 2017

    And the drains in Roseau are still open and smelly. The sidewalks may lead to a torn ACL or severed ankle. Garbage is still left out in the open and picked up in open dumb-trucks for all to see. Employees wear no protective clothing and the Roseau City Council is led by another one of Skerrit’s cronies. Labor is working really hard these days.

    • Anon
      April 21, 2017

      Fake !

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