The Dominica Community Tourism Association hosted a trade show on at Mero beach this past Saturday.
Several tourism service providers displayed their products and services including art and craft items, business brochures, flowers and local cuisine and beverages.
Minister for Tourism Hon. Ian Douglas spoke of efforts by the current administration to develop the eco tourism product.
“We all know of the efforts that Government has been making to develop the eco-tourism brand from the first Eco-Tourism Development Plan (ETDP) to the most recent tourism development sector programmme funded by the European Union.”
The Government has given great support to the eco-tourism initiatives of a number of communities across the country. The tourism minister says, that this is in an effort to empower [people] at the grass roots level.
“Government has assisted a number of people in the form of training programmes in various fields, to prepare brochures, and helping some groups to develop business plans. It is not only about creating employment in general and income for all our rural folks but it is also being able to provide world class service at a professional level and to international standards.”
The minister believes that the success of the tourism industry depends on the collaborative effort of tourism service providers.
He notes that while there have been major successes recorded in the development of the tourism industry; there is no room for complacency.
“As long as we pay attention to the issues confronting our industry globally, regionally and locally we will continue to strive but we cannot sit back and become complacent… The Government can pave all the roads and we can do all that we have been doing, for example night landing and we can bring all the tourists we can possibly bring to the island’s shores but if you do not give our visitors good service, value for money, if we do not make the experience (because that is what we are really selling) a once in a lifetime, one in a million experience, if we openly rob the tourist or we quietly steal from them by overcharging them or undercutting we ruin the destination and we undermine our very livelihoods.”