Dominica, it’s time to be honest with ourselves. We have all seen the video – an empty plane arriving in Dominica for Carnival 2026. And yet we already know what will come next. Roosevelt Skerrit and his “friend “Denise Charles-Pemberton will proclaim that tourism numbers “exceeded expectations,” that arrivals were “historic,” and that the industry is “stronger than ever.”
But the people know better.
And the people are tired of being insulted with numbers that do not match reality.
But our people know better. And our people are tired of being insulted with numbers that do not match reality. This is not about one flight or one event. This is about a pattern – year after year – where statistics are deliberately misrepresented and then celebrated while communities see no benefit, businesses remain empty, and opportunity passes us by.
But our people know better. And our people are tired of being insulted with numbers that do not match reality. This is not about one flight or one event. This is about a pattern – year after year – where statistics are deliberately misrepresented and then celebrated while communities see no benefit, businesses remain empty, and opportunity passes us by.
We are told that hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Dominica through cruise ships. But anyone who walks the streets of Roseau can see the truth for themselves. Thirty tour buses line up with no passengers in sight. Vendors wait all day without customers. Streets are quiet when they should be alive. This is not the tourism economy our people were promised.
Tourism in Dominica has always been brief stopovers, short walks, and quick returns for exiting passengers to their ship. Visitors do not stay. They do not spend. And they never return. That is not success, that is just lies.
Dominica’s tourism policy must be built on experience, energy, and engagement – not recycled photos and recycled headlines. Yet Denise Charles-Pemberton continues to rely on the same tired images, the same stale messaging, and the same outdated approach year after year, while somehow expecting different results. That is not a strategy; it is stagnation. Doing the same recycled things over and over and hoping for a different outcome is the very definition of insanity, and Dominica’s tourism sector cannot afford to remain trapped in that cycle.
The outcome is always the same, always predictable: a narrow market, limited appeal, and a missed opportunity. And who is this market? Not who the government claims is coming, but who we can clearly see.
- Look at the photos.
- Look at the Ministry of Tourism’s own promotional material.
- Look at the buses that do have passengers.
- Look at the images they choose to represent Dominica to the world.
Over and over again, for 25 years, the same pattern appears: Seniors. Retirees. Elderly visitors. Short-stay cruise passengers.
- Where are the young travellers?
- Where are the couples?
- Where are the groups of friends?
- Where are the families with children?
- Where are the visitors who stay a week, not an hour?
They are not there, and this is not an accident.
A country’s tourism market is defined by what it promotes and what it builds for. Dominica has been marketed, deliberately or by default, as a quiet, slow, low-energy destination. That only suits retirees looking for a brief stop, but it does not sustain an economy.
- Seniors do not drive at night.
- They do not fill hotels for seven nights.
- They do not spend across restaurants, entertainment, and experiences.
- They do not return year after year in large numbers.
Yet, Roosevelt Skerrit and Denise Charles-Pemberton continue to celebrate cruise arrivals as if they represent real growth, while the streets remain empty and businesses see no lift.
- This is why Roseau goes quiet.
- This is why tour buses sit idle.
- This is why vendors wait and then pack up.
And when Denise Charles-Pemberton needs to show “activity,” she simply recycles the same images yet again or points to a local celebration filled with young people, as if that alone represents a functioning tourism strategy. Public events are not tourism policy, and repeating the same visuals does not equal progress.
This is not modern tourism. This is not competitive tourism. And this is not sustainable tourism. Dominica is being sold to the world as a seniors stopover island, and Roosevelt Skerrit and Denise Charles-Pemberton refuse to admit it, even when the evidence is right in front of us.
If we want a tourism industry that truly benefits Dominicans – full hotel workers, busy restaurant, taxi drivers, vendors, tour operators, and the Kalinago people- we must first tell the truth about where we are and who we are currently attracting. And that brings us to something no one wants to talk about.
It is time to spice things up. “The Nature Island” slogan is not helping Dominica; it is holding us back.
- The slogan tells the world exactly one thing: QUIET.
- It signals hiking, waterfalls, early nights, and limited activity.
- It does not signal excitement, nightlife, energy, culture, or fun.
- And that is why the tourists we attract match the slogan.
This is not an attack on nature. Nature is our foundation – but tree-hugging nature alone does not sell tourism in the modern world. Every island has beaches. Every island has forests. Every island has waterfalls. What separates winners from losers is experience.
- Tourism is psychology.
- Branding creates expectation.
- And expectation drives demand.
Right now, we are branding ourselves out of the market. Look at the world’s most exciting destinations. They sell feeling, not facts:
- Las Vegas — What Happens Here, Stays Here
- Jamaica — One Love
- Aruba — One Happy Island
- Bahamas — It’s Better in The Bahamas
- Barbados — Feel the Rhythm
- Miami Beach — Where the World Comes to Play
Notice what they don’t say: Untouched. Quiet. Peaceful. Eco-only.
They sell emotion, energy, connection, and experience. Dominica’s current branding does the opposite. And yet, this does not have to be our reality. Dominica can attract visitors who stay longer, spend more, return often, and invest in our communities. We can build a tourism industry that creates jobs, fuels small businesses, and transforms our economy.
But only if we are willing to change direction. We do not need to destroy our nature – we need to add life to it. We need nightlife that gives visitors a reason to stay out. Events designed for international audiences, not just locals. Branding that excites younger travellers. Experiences that make people say, “I have to come back.” This is how you move from a stopover island to a destination island. Changing the slogan is not cosmetic – it is strategic. It is a declaration that Dominica is open, alive, and ready.
I stand ready with a new vision for tourism – one focused on real growth, real opportunity, and real benefit for our people and all of our communities. That vision will be shared at the right time, with a clear and achievable path forward. But today is about something bigger.
- Today is about accountability.
- Today is about honesty.
- Today is about deciding that Dominica deserves better.
No more celebrating statistics while communities struggle. No more confusing stagnation with success. No more silence. This is our moment. This is your country, Act like it! And it is time to choose change and let Dominica compete and win.
Let the People Decide the New Story.
And here is how real change begins, with Direct Democracy. We are not going to sit in an office and decide Dominica’s future behind closed doors. We are going to open it up to the nation. That is why we will be launching a national slogan competition, inviting Dominicans at home and abroad to submit ideas for a new island slogan – one that reflects energy, excitement, opportunity, and a modern Dominica ready to compete on the world stage.
This is not just about words. This is about identity. This is about ownership. This is about telling our story the right way. Dominicans know this island better than anyone. We know its potential. We know what it can be, not just what it has been marketed as.
The winning slogan will not belong to a ministry. It will not belong to a political party. It will belong to the people of Dominica. Because if we want different tourists, we must send a different message. And that message should come from us. This is how you build pride. This is how you build excitement. And this is how you begin a real tourism revolution.
