DHTA Working with Tourism Stakeholders to be in Compliance with Health & Safety
The Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association (DHTA) is pleased that the Dominican borders will be opened soon. It was announced at a press briefing by Government on July 1st that the borders will open on August 7th, 2020 for visitors. The decision to re-open borders is a welcome relief to Tourism Stakeholders who for the past four months have had to suspend their operations with zero revenue and widespread loss of jobs by tourism workers. We are hopeful that with the reopening of the borders that we will begin to see visitors back on our shores, staying at our properties and enjoying the abundance of nature, seclusion, and wellness that Dominica has to offer and what most persons are looking for in a post-COVID environment.
The DHTA is working closely with properties and tourism service providers on the actions needed to be undertaken to be in compliance with the health and safety guidelines set out by Health and Tourism Officials. It is imperative that the sector is ready to provide a safe and quality service to our visitors on the restart of tourism as visitors are also looking for destinations and properties that are safe.
We would like to urge our members and person operating within the Tourism Industry to get their properties and businesses certified by the Environmental Health Department and Discover Dominica Authority prior to the opening of the borders. This certification will provide the stamp of approval signifying to visitors that the sector is taking the necessary measures to keep its properties, employees and guests safe.
We are also calling on the Environmental Health Department and the DDA to provide clear guidelines and information that would facilitate and ease the process of certification for our members. The majority of our hotels are ten rooms or less and do not have the resources to implement certain aspects of the standards and may need a simpler version of the guidelines. In addition, we recommend that the guidelines are made available and accessible on the Environmental Health and DDA websites and that there is one point of contact for questions and follow-ups.
The DHTA pledges its commitment to continue collaborating with the relevant authorities and our membership in ensuring that Dominica remains safe for all.
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