Tourism Minister codemns his own government for failure to invest in the industry – Prevost

Prevost (left), Douglas

Responding to a statement by Dominica’s Minister of Tourism, Ian Douglas carried on DBS news July 14th calling for Caribbean Governments to invest more in tourism, former Tourism Minister, Norris Prevost, said, “this  is an indictment and condemnation of his own government’s failure to invest in Dominica’s tourism. Mr Douglas must first take the log out of his own eyes, before attempting to take the speck out of his neighbours eyes.”

Prevost continued, “Under Mr Douglas’ present watch as Minister of Tourism, Dominica Government investment in Tourism has become the lowest among OECS countries. The government’s investment in tourism in the 2011/2012 budget amounts to about $4.5-million or 4.25% of the capital budget, and about $5.4-million, a miserly 1.5 percent of the recurrent expenditure budget. The Governments allocation to Tourism in the recurrent expenditure is so insignificant, that  unlike Governments allocation of $52.7M  for debt service, it does not even come up for  mention in the budget speech. “

Labor failure to continue international airport setback Dominica’s tourism 30 years.

According to Prevost, “Antigua, St Lucia, Grenada, St Kitts have all placed the construction of international airport and tourism marketing Offices in the major international markets, as  priority investments for their tourism development. The Labor Government, when it came into office in 2000, the UWP had the investment program to construct Dominica’s International Airport well on the way. The studies had been done, designs had been done, the land had been purchased and paid for, and about $108-million had already been secured from Taiwan, and the European Union for the international airport. The Labor Government failed to continue with the international Airport project, and rather wasted the money on night landing at Melville Hall Airport, which still does not connect Dominica directly to its major market.”

Labor closing down marketing Offices in USA, UK and Paris – A further blow to tourism.

“Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Vincent, Grenada, all have tourism marketing Offices in the major international markets. Under the UWP Government, Dominica advanced its marketing thrust with the opening of offices in Paris, London and New York. These offices have been closed down by the Labor government. As a result Dominica’s overall Tourism performance suffered major decline,” Prevost argued.

He added, “Tourism declined overall by 9% from 2006 to 2010; whilst in these international markets the declines have been worse, with the UK market falling by 33 percent from 6,859 in 2006 to 4,601 in 2010 and the US market by 12 percent. With no marketing offices and no direct air access from the major international markets, Dominica continues to rely mainly on the Caribbean region which accounted for 55 percent of its stay over visitors in 2010. The Labour Govt failure to construct Dominica’s international airport, has set Dominica’ Tourism back by 30 years.”

The former tourism minister continued, “Minister Douglas’ call on Caribbean governments to invest more in tourism is an admission of his Government’s failure to make adequate investment in Dominica’s tourism. I call on Minister Douglas and his Government, to stop blaming the rest of the world for their failures  and to make the necessary investments in the international airport, vendors arcades, re-establishing the tourism offices in the major markets and making similar investments in the other production sectors, especially agriculture, in order to grow Dominica’s economy, and provide quality sustainable jobs for our people.”

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26 Comments

  1. comeonda
    July 15, 2011

    I am from Dominica but i visit home very regularly but northing frustrates me more than the long journey home. I just can’t stand going to Antigua anymore the over nighting, baggage problems all the time is just to frustrating and i think i am talking for most Dominica overseas a direct flight to Dominica would be nice.
    For Dominica tourism to move forward an international airport is definitely needed this would raise Dominica profile in the international market.
    For example people always ask me who in Dominica played cricket for the west indies and I always find it difficult to answer because for the longest time we were not able to host international games now that we are the possibility of having more Dominican playing cricket for the west indies will definitely increase similarly with an international airport i can see British airways or virgin parking in Dominica exposing more people to Dominica.
    Most people will agree with me it is better to have a business on a high street than hidden away in the bushes. If you are on the high street your chances of getting more or other people business is greater.
    Dominica get on the high street and stop being hidden away. An international airport is a must in this day and age an international airport will not only create new jobs but it will also introduce new doors in the international markets a new line of trade will open between countries like USA and England.
    Stop passing easy business to Antigua where we desperate need it.

  2. positve dominican
    July 14, 2011

    I REALLY AGREE WITH YOU BUT ONE THING FOR SURE I AM NOT BEHIND THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO PLAN FOR THE COUNTRY ALL THEY DO IS BLOW BUBBLES

    • July 14, 2011

      I SUPPOSE THEY HAD NO PLANS FOR THE COUNTRY IN 1994?

      • They MAD
        July 15, 2011

        so u not seeing is a ti zah-fah that type that nonesense then…lol

  3. fire
    July 14, 2011

    I’m not shure about the laughing stock part but i see domonica way behind the other islands.

  4. Tourism Analyst
    July 14, 2011

    As a person who have worked iin tourism many years i share the Honorable Norris Prevost’s concerns. It is one thing to call on Caribbean governments to invest more heavily in their tourism and a damn shame when you are doing the opposite:

    It’s a shame when your Tourism BUdget continue to be an Administrative budget used to pay salaries and cannot even sustain a whole yeears advertising in the classified ads in Conde Naste much less the Chronicle.

    It’s a shame when your Director of Tourism says an International Airport will not increase travel into Dominica but Melville Hall Airport will.

    It’s a shame to tell modern day tourists with limited vacation time to overnight in your regional hubs before they get here even though you claim that you have night landing…

    The IT’S A SHAME list will continue… IT’S A SHAME TO HAVE IAN DOUGLAS AS MINISTER FOR TOURISM AND A WRECK BOAT LOCATED JUST UNDER HIS WINDOW… ADAMN SHAME.

  5. Leve Domnitchen
    July 14, 2011

    Could the honourable Minister tell me where would he cut the budget to allocte more funds to tourism. I think the government is doing the right thing in building the roads and infrastructure before concentrating on an international airport. Every time I am travelling to D/A the planes are always half empty. Let there be a greater number of people wanting to travel to Dominica before we think of building an international airport. Part of the problem is the roads and the general appearance of our city and villages. We need better roads with sidewalks and better accomodations for the tourists so that they can enjoy what we have to offer without feeling that they are risking their lives everytime they have to take a drive around the country to enjoy our beautiful scenery. About the closing of the tourism market overseas these can be re-instated as soon as we have everything in place the way we want it. As for the decline in tourism figures I think maybe this has more to do with the losing of certain cruise ships more than the overseas marketing offices. Besides if tourism was that up when uwp was in power why was our economy so bad? Uwp must have been doing something wrong. I think we have better balance in the budget right now and a solid plan how we are going to move forward from there and yes, so far we are seeing better results than UWP had while they were in office.

    • Leve Domnitchen
      July 14, 2011

      correction: allocate

  6. Dreamer
    July 14, 2011

    So easy to blame those trying.

  7. DA man
    July 14, 2011

    thank you sir you are right please don’t stop fighting for our beautiful island no matter what those dumb a*** labourites say they cannot stop us from talking

  8. cricket fan
    July 14, 2011

    the river flows to the sea … what’s new with the Honorable Minister of Incompetence and shame?

  9. Evolved
    July 14, 2011

    so well said former Minister – what business is it of Douglas to point figures or even comments on Caribbean tourism when the lack of development in his own country is so blatant. It clearly shows that Dominican politicans and some technocrats are hell bent n assessing the outside community with no clue of what augers in their own back yard.

    Good for the private sector – they let Yvor Nassief have free reign – hoteliers like owners of Evergreen, Tamarind Tree and Jungle Bay could not stop singing his praises – where are they today? Are they any better off? – they will now dance to the tune of plumitting arrivals which means drops in revenue – you threw the baby out with the bath water –

    • Tourism Analyst
      July 14, 2011

      You are very right my friend. The owners of Fort Young don’t want anything bigger than Fort Young to come to Dominica because they know Fort Young will be a NO NO… They used the small hoteliers to get their way and left the small hotels to look for the scraps that’s not there… :cry:

  10. dominican born brits
    July 14, 2011

    yes it’s time to wake up mr.p.m.dominica do need an international airport.some educated fools say that dominica don’t need such an airport.i think these guys should go back to school and study economics.

    • Dreamer
      July 14, 2011

      I would be interested to learn from your school and economic views about that.
      Can you simply reply to these questions :
      – How does Dominica pay for the investment required for an international airport ?
      – How do you finance the airport annual maintenance ?
      – Which airlines will land and from where ?
      – What will that bring to Dominica ?

      I am serious. Can you reply ?

  11. Porssie radical
    July 14, 2011

    Again Ian Douglas is shooting himself in the foot. Is Ian telling us that he sat down and accepted the budget allocation for tourism or is he indirectly telling us that he resented his government plans.I hope he regret making that statement because independent minded people ( I sure hope that there are Laborites who are) will realize that we are wasting 27 million dollars on a mansion whereas the cruise ships are backing away from Dominica due to poor and dilapidated accommodations and impressions. I do hope that Ian can redeem himself by clearly showing us what his administration has done to propel the tourism industry – within the last 10 years.
    What I have notice is that the current administration keep hiding their inefficiencies by masquerading in the band of “Caribbeanism”. We have heard the PM say that compare to the rest of the Caribbean we are doing just fine. As a traveling man let say that over the last 10 years Dominica has become the laughing stock of the Caribbean. Most times it seem more logical to conclude that we have gone 10 steps backward rather than to deduce that the other islands have made so much more progress.
    It is time to own up to the people of Dominica and if such is the way that minister Ian Douglas intend to do so then let me say it is a step in the right direction. Sometimes subtleness works

  12. ANON
    July 14, 2011

    Organised crime has transcended national borders to become a regional problem. Our large un-manned coastlines, as well as our strategic position in the hemisphere makes us prime transhipment routes for narcotics and fire-arms. Increased income inequality, poverty and youth marginalisation are also contributing to the problem. Increasingly, we are witnessing young, poverty stricken, marginalised and vulnerable young men being sucked into the drug trade, fighting over drug turfs. According to Professor Girvan: we are all aware of the alarming increase in gun-related violence associated with the proliferation of criminal gangs warring over the drug trade in several regional countries.

  13. hard core dominican
    July 14, 2011

    DOMINICA NEED TO FORGET ABOUT THE TOURISM BUSINESS AND FOCUSS ON AGRECULTUR AND SUPPLY THE OTHER CARIBBEAN ISLAND WITH FOOD. WE CANT COMPITE IN THAT TOURISM MARKET. INVEST HEAVY IN BOTTLEING JUICE FROM OUR PRODUCE. STOP IMPORTING WATER I CANT EVEN SEE A BOTTLE OF DOMINICA WATER ON SHELVS IN OTHER CARIBBEAN ISLAND. ALL CAT AND DOGS THAT USEING WELL WATER BOTTLEING THEM FOR EXPORT. COME ON DAY TIME TO OPEN OUR EYS.

    • Lavie Dominique
      July 14, 2011

      To that I concur! But I wouldn’t go far as saying forget tourism completely, put more focus on agriculture. Dominicans took a further bite off hands the feed the tourism market in the madness of Skerrit’s unyielding support for Ghaddfi and his ill conceived assault on America and NATO! Maybe they have a plan of switching their tourism market to the ALBA countries and the despotic countries. What they don’t understand it that most of the citizens of their despotic friends are poorer than Dominican themselves!!

    • ANON
      July 14, 2011

      true

    • They MAD
      July 15, 2011

      they can focus on both agriculture and tourism by putting much more money into it that they doing now. But no….the money in the budget is for public support aka red clinic. Come up the elevator and beg.

    • Tourist
      July 15, 2011

      I do not agree with this comment. Yes, Dominica needs to focus on agriculture and export of agricultural products and bottled water. However, at the same time the tourism industry most must not be neglected. Having said that, Dominicas tourism product should not be one of mass tourism but of eco and wellness tourism. The government needs to invest in this otherwise it will be left behind. By the way, forget about this cruise ship business. These tourist do not benefit Dominica much. They spend very little money in Dominica – they only cause havoc and litter in and around Roseau!

  14. Anonymous
    July 14, 2011

    That’s what the opposition suppose to do put pressure on the government this one I support 100%

  15. ANON
    July 14, 2011

    OKAY EH NOW, EDDISON I AM AN ADVOCATE FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE, BUT ALLU FORMING THE BACKSIDE NOW, GET ALL YOUR ARGUMENTS TOGETHER AND

    GO TO PARLIAMENT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    PEOPLE READY TO STAND BEHIND ALLU AND ALLU JUST THERE BLOWING HOT AIR ALL OVER THE PLACE. GO INFRONT THE SPEAKER, AND MAKE THE PEOPLE DEMANDS KNOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • July 14, 2011

      YEAH UWP PRETENDER

      • They MAD
        July 15, 2011

        i cannot understand that nuh? a big pretender…who that trying to fool nuh? lol Go to the speaker and do what? To be told take your seat? Where were you when they were going to the house from 2000 to 2009? You asleep? under your mother bed?…or still inside her womb? shate man…

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