What is the Plan? 40,000 per year or 200,000
It is undeniable that the decline of Agriculture over the last 21 years has made Dominica’s economy more dependent on Tourism despite the countless niche opportunities to brand Dominica as a unique and major leader in Eco- tourism. With the proper product development and marketing strategy, tourism can have a fast transformative impact on Dominica’s faltering economy. Now, more than ever, Dominica needs to take active steps to develop an aggressive and bold new tourism product development and marketing strategy.
The new target of 200,000 visitor arrivals by 2025, touted by the Minister of Tourism, raises fresh concerns about the Labour Party Administration’s seriousness in moving tourism to the next level.
People Need to Know.
As surprising as it sounds, the Dominican people need to know whether this meagre target will be enough to address the chronic low occupancy of our hotels, how many new and sustainable jobs that will be created, and whether this target is nearly enough to sustain any linkages with other sectors of the economy. Any effort to increase visitor arrivals to our shores is commendable but the Honorable Minister must clarify how her Ministry’s new target will change the current trajectory and bring much needed life in what appears to be a very lethargic sector in recent years.
Marketing Plan?
Honorable minister, please tell us whether your target meant a yearly increase of 200,000 arrivals by 2025 or a net increase to 200,000 by 2025. If the former, where is the complimentary development plans to enhance arrivals? How do you envision growth in this industry post Covid-19 pandemic?
I would also commend the minister if she could further explain what percentage of the anticipated arrivals will be from cruise or stayover. This would help the public appreciate where the most lucrative opportunities are and provide insights as to how entrepreneurs should position themselves to realize maximum benefits. It is a well-known fact that stayover tourists are the larger contributors to the economy whilst a cruise visitor will only spend an average of USD 31.97 in Dominica, according to a 2018 report, which is miniscule relative to other islands.
If the latter, it is also incumbent on the minister to further breakdown her targets for each year, that is, from 2021 to 2025 in an effort to enlighten the public and give credibility to the ministry’s “aggressive” tourism endeavors. After all, this information would undeniably show a clearer growth trajectory and provide the basis for any future public or private investments in tourism. Which time frame do we anticipate most rapid growth? We need answers.
Adjusting Tourism to Covid-19
Finally, we understand that any meaningful strategy for increasing arrivals into Dominica must capitalize on the untapped markets closer to home including the French Antilles, St. Lucia, St Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, among others. The question now is, what additional measures are being considered to support this thrust given the present realities of the pandemic and the increase cost of travel in the region, not to mention poor air access into Dominica?
It would be remiss of me not to recognize your five-pillar strategy for increasing tourist arrival and its potential to make Dominica a leader in diversified tourism. What has not been done well over the last 21 years, in my opinion, is bringing these synergies into play. This Government has still not yet carved out the enabling policies and infrastructure to harness and exploit sports, wellness, and culture related tourism opportunities in Dominica.
Tourism is Everybody’s Business
I wish to also state that every citizen of this beloved island has the right to participate in the national discourse on tourism development which for years, we have promoted as everybody’s business. If we truly embrace this powerful slogan, I have no doubt that our tourism vision for this island will be the most consultative, robust, and strategic in the region.
Delivery Time is Now
Honorable minister, tourism is our bread and butter. Dominicans need the quickest turnaround in tourism in the least time. Our small hotels which are ably supported by our farmers are waiting, our taxi men are waiting, our tour operators are waiting, our vendors, and our tour guides are all patiently awaiting. Now is delivery time!
HON. SENATOR CLEMENT MARCELLIN
Shadow Minister for Tourism
Ibo, I read with passion, your comments on the issues of poor development and under a failed incompetent Labour government and Immature Incompetent Failed Prime Odd Minister SKERRIT and his failed Labour government.
You’re so right and to the point. Our Government is desperately in need of decent, trusted, mature intellectual, professional trustworthy and reliable, visionary Cabinet ministers and a prominent distinguished experienced commited trusted competent intellectual Prime Minister, and not an odd one. We need decent, committed, developmentally focused on our poor Dominica’ and our struggling people who are in poverty and need a visionary Government and sound visionary, experienced Prime Minister. We honestly had enough of this faiied incompetent Labour Government and its failed baseless and useless current inmature Prime Minister and failed Labour government.
We do honour distinguished experienced commited trusted Hon. Lennox Linton and his formidable UWP professional Team.
This is in no way meant as any condemnation of the main opposition party but just constructive criticism.
I personally believe that the UWP should be more active and visible in all the constituencies despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
A weekly radio program is a deep in the right direction; an article on a online news site is helpful but far from adequate.
It’s not what you give people that makes them cherish you, it’s how you make them feel.
The members of the UWP need to walk the constituents often, watch their constituents in their eyes, elbow their elbows (since we should not shake hands) and listen to their needs and advice. Start doable projects in the various communities; help those who are desperately in need; educate the people so that we can have a well informed electorate; each candidate should give of his-her best errors.
Become proactive now. Don’t wait until the eve of a pending election. Maximum Blessings!
@Mia
Stop politicizing COVID-19 like the DLP politicians and their enabling senior civil servants. The praise and accolades, if any, should go to the most deserving frontline workers (doctors, nurses, immigration & custom officers, etc).
What you should credit and applaud Mr. Skerrit and his cabinet for are these:
*the super-hot, vibrant economy
* the full employment with the many high paying jobs
*the booming agriculture, manufacturing and tourism industries
*the complete revitalization of Roseau
*the new air and sea ports
*zero criminal activity on the island
The ‘achievements’ of this present, do-nothing GRABBERMENT are infinite but I will stop here for now.
Skerrit and his failed questionable Labour government has been Incompetent and has failed our Dominican People over 20 long failed, Corrupted years, and has openly also failed our economy and agriculture and deceitfully blindly sold our passports over 20 years now and our people, our villages and farmers and struggling young people with absolutely no foreseeable future and jobs. Therefore it’s obvious that Skerrit has failed our people and country with unemployed young people and families are struggling to survive and Skerrit is openly functning this devious buy loyalty Deceptive
open Red Cash hand✋out and shout we “love our PM”. Shameful behaviour and Nonsensical behavioural thoughts.
DOMINICANS, please wake up, smell the coffee, challenge failed Skerrit and let’s take our Nature Island 🏝️ Dominica back, away from his Incompetent Labour government and its failed Prime Minister.
Apres Bondie CE Later. Gods Blessings🙏and continued Guidance. Let’s show our Solidarity. Gods…
….where is Colin Piper?
Great stuff Clement. This is what’s expected from an opposition not constant nasty criticism on a radio. I am proud of you.
We applaud Decent trusted United Workers Party for their comments on matters that continues to Increase and affect & lacks the Socioeconomic development, unemployment, poor development, infrastructure of the island remains critical and unattended.
The UWP Team and its highly trusted committed UWP Team will continue to represent and talk on behalf of every Dominican on ongoing questionable matters of this Failed Labour government. Our suffering families and unployed desperately seeking jobs to pay their bills, rent mortgage and children’s education.
We need an updated account as to how our economy is managed and an account of our financial resources etc.
Rather than plotting professionally our Development we have limited so called investment taking place in Dominica by this Failed Labour government and its blind Incompetent leaders, including this failed incompetent immnature Prime Odd Minister Skerrit. Thanks to the UWP led by it’s formidable Opposition Leader Hon.Lennox Linton…
@Mia, whilst I’m happy that there are no deaths from Covid-19 in Dominica, I find it nonsensical to be bragging about that. Comparison to population of other countries in the region and also the number of arrivals in those countries. Also compare the economies of these countries to Dominica. Dominica is right now like a hibernating bear not doing anything much so obviously there is little earnings and little arrivals. It’s always easier to control a small population than a bigger one. The only relevant comparison for Dominica is with countries like St Kitts, St Vincent and the Grenadines. That’s not something to go on the rooftop and crow about in my opinion. If it isn’t for the selling of our birthright in the CBI programs, like a prostitute does, then crapaud would smoke our pipe. Tone down the gloating
Well said Jonathan. It’s always good and welcome the vuewdy if our most watched and intellectual Dominican. We must have our well honoured Dominicans who on a daily basis are glued and monitor the obvious Nonsensical ridiculous Labour government and ridiculous opinions expressed by these blind Commentaries and be thoughts while our people have reduced to poverty and begging for money and food to feed their children and families through Skerrit’s Devious Red Clinic, an insult to the people of Dominica, while the big Prime Rich clowns in government have our unemployed and suffering people desperately in need of money, jobs to best take care of themselves and their struggling children and families. It’s shameful that our suffering people and families are still dependent upon this fake, deceitfulness Red Bobolistic Clinic operated through our States funds and executed by this failed incompetent Questionable inmature failed Labour government and its incompetent failed leadership Skerrit.
Scrutinize this article. Juxtapose the contents of this article with the verbal animus and gibberish that emanates from the lips of Mr. Skerrit, Austrie et Al.
The country needs thoughtful, erudite, morally upright, level-headed persons like Clement Marcellin in government to elevate the level of discourse and bring fresh ideas to governance.
The people have rejected gold for brass in the most recent elections. They went for short term gain instead of long term prosperity. The majority of Dominicans, sad to say, are severely myopic.
very thoughtful and professional analysis of the situation.
Clement, when you going to become leader of your party? Dominica needs some fresh, young, bright, articulate individuals like yourself leading the country out of its current malaise.
Right now that man is Lennox Linton, the only one Skerrit does not like to face. Skerrit afraid of him and can not answer him in parliament.
Clement, I’m in exceedingly proud and happy to have read your exceptionally well penned commentary. To be honest, I recommend that you, on our behalf as suffering People in Dominica’ under this failed Labour government and its failed incompetent Questionable inmature Skerrit as Prime Minister. This is serious business and we hear and read of Skerrit is Immature visionless Nonsensical talk just for fame. After 20 long years Skerrit has done absolutely nothing new of substance for our suffering people and be our failed Dominica.
Skerrit appears to have no knowledge of Socioeconomic development concept meaning his trusted Government ministers and acolytes themselves are blind & dumb to socio-economic development. We wonder if they follow or able to comprehend this concept. After Twenty failed years in government, we the people have had enough of this failed incompetent Labour government and its failed incompetent Questionable inmature Prime Minister.
We welcome UWP & Hon.LENNOX…
If Dominicans would have not resigned to the petty CLAN mentality in our Politics and seek to engage our best and brightest in positions that matter, then we would be much better off as a Nation.
Just compare this intervention to the one of Denise…chalk and cheese. It is clear that part of the bigger problem in our country is not tapping into our greater collective Human resource.
Instead we’re tricked into choosing on basis of “sides”. Naturally, there will be better options to pick from if we select from the whole rather than from a few. #wakeup!!
Thanks much Hon. Clement Marcellin for your well written, researched Commentary. We need people in government who are visionary, sufficiently matured and focused on developmental matters and has the interest of our government, our unemployed people in in this state of failure over 20 years due to this Labour government failure, incompetence. Immaturity of its leadership and obviously has has no focus on our Dominica and suffering unemployed in people at heart. This failed Labour government and its incompetent failed Labour government must get the”Hell Out, Get out”. The sitting Prime Minister lacks vision and distracts our suffering families, who are jobless poor people struggling to feed their children and families, yet rather than creating jobs for those unemployed and suffering needs proper management that our Struggling people can’t take it no more due the incompetence and Immature and visionless of this failed Prime Minister and his blind Labour government. We need Labour Out.
Well written. And more professional than I would have been given past performance.
Oh oh… partner you’re alive man..
The agricultural and tourism industry already dead under Skerrit.. ☹
Pretty Boy, tell the lazy taxi and bus drivers, who have abandon their property and seating idling waiting for five passengers to feel their buses go back to Mother Earth. Before you start with your empty promises and baseless innuendos give us facts not fiction. Right now in light of the pandemic the island is fully functional. As a Dominican I am proudly telling everyone who will listen, we have 0 0 0 deaths from the Covid-19, that’s Good Good and SUPERB LEADERSHIP.
@Mia, whilst I’m happy that there are no deaths from Covid-19 in Dominica, I find it nonsensical to be bragging about that. Comparison to population of other countries in the region and also the number of arrivals in those countries. Also compare the economies of these countries to Dominica. Dominica is right now like a hibernating bear not doing anything much so obviously there is little earnings and little arrivals. It’s always easier to control a small population than a bigger one. The only relevant comparison for Dominica is with countries like St Kitts, St Vincent and the Grenadines. That’s not something to go on the rooftop and crow about in my opinion. If it isn’t for the selling of our birthright in the CBI programs, like a prostitute does, then crapaud would smoke our pipe. Tone down the gloating
The island fully functional ye Mia so the cruise all here, the ferries coming every day but we all biting on wood because we hungry Mia. Yes there is a pandemic and it is real but so is the money that should be in our treasury. You can paint a turd gold Mia but is still a turd and still smelling. Stop dreaming. Call things what they are so at least we are not fooling ourselves.
Imagine, the president of one of the Taxi Associations, Mr. G, there is is all now. On his farm.
So, how does your commment address the article. Also, the word is fill. Taxi drivers need passengers to fill their buses not feel their buses. He made no promises, he is only ASKING your DLP government to be clear to the people on THIER plan and how THEY intend to execute it.
In other words, their pie in the sky needs a road map. Otherwise, miss me with that cow manure. Your PM is reactionany, not proactive. Good and superb leadership would have ensured that our productive sectors were booming in the event of ANY disaster. We put all our eggs in tourism. No tourist. now we scrambling and letting Denise embarass herself. At least Marcellin is a clear thinking person to ASK the relevant questions and not take rubbish as gold. Mia stop the nonsense praise and worship as if you will be rewarded for it. Ask yourself real questions. Right in your little village, look around ask ask yourself why there is no significant operations that employ the majority of the working people in your…
Senator Maryellen’s ‘masterpiece is instructive, sobering and spot on. There isn’t much to add.
Dominica with its rare fauna and flora, its majestic mountains and Niles, its natural waterways adorned with spectacular waterfalls, its unique culture, its arable soil, should be a Mecca for tourism in the whole of the Caribbean region.
What we lack are visionary and inspirational leadership; strategic planning; aggressive marketing; linkages; consultations with all key stakeholders.
Dominica certainly should be the envy of the rest of the Caribbean if only we had men and women of impeccable moral fortitude and astuteness at the helm of government. We have been underperforming for much too long.
While I may agree with a lot you say. I am a Tourism practitionar and to say Tourism has been lethargic, just shows ingnorance of the industry on your part.
Clearly Mr. Nathaniel Peltier you do not know the Tourism Industry that you are a part of because over the years growth of Dominica’s Tourism has been sluggish and lackluster to say the least.
Now tell me if that is not lethargic.
Coonoomoonoo
We seem to be talking about 2 seperate industries. Look at the statistics over last 20 years.
Eye on Development I will do a thorough review of Dominica’s Tourism arrivals over the last 30 years to prove to you that the local tourism sector has been lethargic.
I will also do a comparison with the other OECS independent countries
I will provide tables and where possible graphs and hope that DNO would be kind enough to verify the information i would be providing as accurate.
I am not doing this to be critical of the DLP administration because the report will cover the 20 years of DLP governance, the entire period of UWP governance, and the last term of DFP governance.
So bro just wait… i will show you and its not going to be political. I will be comprehensive and informative
The above is for the attention of Mr Nathaniel Peltier
Compare Dominica’s Tourism to that of other countries. What does St. Kitts have that we dont. St. Kitts has monkey, Dominica has also. They have forts, we have.. Beaches..we have rivers and beaches. But yet look at their stats compared to ours. Lethargic.. at best..
ADMIN: Monkeys are found in the wild in only 4 Caribbean islands: St. Kitts, Nevis, Saint Martin and Barbados.
The DLP say a lot of things but they have no idea how to achieve those goals. Just empty promises.
Zandoli, this is so true. I’m so happy thst you penned this thought that we’re able to read the obvious facts of this Failed incompetent Labour government and its failed visionless Incompetent Prime Minister.
All we have going in Dominica’ is this fake Insulting Red Clinic out of this Prime Minister odd be Skerrit. That is not the way to run a Government where our suffering people are reduced to the Red Clinic deceptiveness Bobolistic behaviour. Our people needs job that they are able to feed and Support their children and families.
We desperately need a Government change in our Nature Isle Dominica. Skerrit and his failed questionable incompetent Labour government has overstayed their welcome and has killed our economy and agriculture.
Wet need Decent trusted committed decent focused people to build up our Nature Isle Dominica and our people and families of Dominica. Dominicans, wake up, let’s take back our government and our Dominica.
Apres Bondie CE Later. Amen. God🙏is…
@zandoli, BOY you are a joke along with those other so-called workers clowns 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
Ha..ha..ha..lol..lol…A Man Bites Dogs…woof
woof must stop barking this Nonsensical thoughts of yours. Your thoughts unfortunately over the years have been trapped in this failed Incompetent environment of Skerrit and his failed questionable incompetent Labour government. Rise above this failed incompetent Nonsensical thoughts of yours and that of your failed Skerrit and Incompetent politically illiterate of socioy Development and nuts processes. Your failed fake Skerrit now has reduced our struggling people to the unemployed deceptiveness Red DLP Clinic Yard meaning that after15yrs in government the Concept and planning of developing our country and our people is beyond the preparedness of failed Skerrit and his incompetent blind loyalists and acolytes.
Dominica has seriously sunk deeply into the Abyss of failure, ignoramous stupidity and has no knowledge of Socioeconomic development concept and therefore unable to manage our government and offers Red Clinic to suffering…
Man Bites Dogs…woof woof….sounds to like barking Nonsensical thoughts of nothing!
We are happy to be laughing out loud at you on because you’re a clown 🤡🙊 well laughed at most days. It tells where your patriotism is located. Not in our ailing failed Dominica led by the failure of Immature visionless Skerrit and his faiied questionable incompetent Bobolistic so called Labour government.
So Mr. Man Bites Dogs, go clean up all you failed incompetent corrupted Labour government and Failed incompetent immnature leadership. That is our issue 😂 and our stress, because everywhere we go in Dominica’ after years in ofgit of this failed Labour government and Prime (Odd) Minister of yours that we Scare-it and this outdated so called Labour government.
We desperately need a change in government and leadership and we openly and honestly and sincerely appreciate our distinguished experienced commited trusted Competent Hon. Lennox Linton, UWP to be our In coming Prime Minister and…