The French West Indies (FWI) Business Cruise Mission held on Monday, 26th Febuary 2024 at the Alliance Française de la Dominique building, organised by Alliance Française de la Dominique and Isanaja Consulting of Guadeloupe, in collaboration with event partners the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC), Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), Dominica Export Import Agency (DEXIA), Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association (DHTA), Invest Dominica Authority (IDA), and Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), has successfully concluded with promising connections and opportunities for collaboration in trade and investment.
The event served as a platform for investors from Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St. Martin to interact with local Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and organizations to engage and discuss opportunities for investment both in Dominica and the FWI. It also served as a continuation of talks [that] had commenced at the first FWI Business cruise held in 2020, but were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Isabelle Adonis-Flandrina from Isanaja Consulting says the welcome has been warm. “We had a great welcome in Dominica. It is our second time. We came in 2020; just before COVID, then everything shut down. So, today we are beginning to restart all the links we had before. She is excited to see what develops from these engagements in both the short and long term. “The contacts and discussion are very positive. It’s really possible to make a bridge between the French islands and Dominica. That’s why we are here.”
Mrs. Adonis-Flandrina who, along with her husband Jacky, provided support for the French visitors, says there is much interest in the IT sector. “We have persons in talks concerning IT and the possibilities [Dominica] has for running Wi-Fi because in Guadeloupe we have many difficulties with this.”
Another sector in which great interest was shown was agro-processing. On hand with products were Healthy Islander (natural herbal products), Jaydees Naturals (organic hair and skin care products), Éclat Nova Luxuries (organic and natural botanical skincare and eco-living products), Bee Natural (beeswax-based body products), Heaven Scent (soaps and body care products), Jam-Agro Processing (herbal teas) and Sea Cliff Gin (botanical gin).
Imanuelle Andrew representative for Healthy Islander (Sister Nats) was very encouraged by the exercise.
“The interaction has been good. A lot of the French participants are interested in the products that we have, even for themselves as individuals and not just for their business. A lot of them are looking to buy in bulk to re-sell, we have people here who own supermarkets, who just want to invest. So what we are doing right now is sharing contact information with them and we’ll see where it takes us.”
Products she had on display included detox packs, garlic syrup, male and female reproduction care packs and herbal capsules. Franck Annette, General Manager of the Indigo Factory in Martinique, showed great interest in sourcing products for his supermarkets in Guadeloupe and St. Lucia. He also recently established a laundromat in St. Lucia and hopes to do the same in Dominica.
Safe Haven Real Estate and 100% Green Dominica were also present to engage with the French visitors on real estate and biodegradable disposable products.
With respect to tourism, DHTA Executive Director Ria Williams says her organisation was “happy” to participate and meet “a number of individuals who are interested in doing business with Dominica’s agro-processors and hotels.”
Williams indicated that Line Cazimir and Cynthia Jean-Denis from the Tourism Office Riviera du Levant expressed interest in organising a group trip from Guadeloupe to Dominica while Francs Baptiste and Olivia Ramoutar-Badal, Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Saint Anne in Guadeloupe, respectively, extended invitations to the tourism community in Dominica for collaborative ventures and proposed future visits to Dominica, aiming to formalise trade relationships. Ludivine Butelet of LB Conformedia explored pportunities to bring a contingent of hospitality industry operators to Dominica, fostering cultural exchange and knowledge sharing in nature tourism.
If these activities come to fruition the tourism sector will realise a positive economic impact and actors throughout will benefit from increases in visitors and visitor [spending]. Lloyd Pascal, Head of the Export Promotion and Development Department at DEXIA, another key partner in the event, said the Agency facilitated connections vital for economic growth.
“We engaged in discussion with several participants including Patricia Beauzor and Olivier Adolphe of Mozaik Karaib in Guadeloupe, who showed interest in construction projects in Dominica, leveraging their expertise in engineering and design, for example.”
Pascal says the Agency will continue to dialogue with Isanaja Consulting on strategic and operational support for future engagements in Guadeloupe by DEXIA and its clients, enhancing cross-border collaboration.
The FWI Business Cruise Mission in Dominica marks a significant step towards fostering economic partnerships and investment opportunities between Dominica and the French West Indies, contributing to the sustainable growth and development of the region.
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