PM Roosevelt Skerrit said tourism and hospitality workers must get vaccinated in readiness for the arrival of cruise ships in June. He said existing safety and health protocols will be adjusted to accommodate tourism workers and cruise tourists who will be coming inland to Dominica. He also noted that tour operators, visiting tourists, Dominican families, and the entire population is protected if everyone gets vaccinated.
“You cannot be a tour guide and not want to get vaccinated, because the person who is going to want you to take them to Titou Gorge and Trafalgar Falls and the boiling lake, they are going to want to know that you are vaccinated because they are going to want to protect themselves,” Skerrit explained. “And they are going to demand that they will only go on a tour with people who are vaccinated.”
The prime minister said this new measure is crucial for getting the economy back to normal the way it was before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said getting everyone within the tourism and hospitality industry vaccinated will encourage tourists to spend their money to come inland and that this will boost government revenues.
The CEO of the Dominica Air and Seaport Authority (DASPA), Benoit Bardouille, equally stated that the agency will be implementing new measures for cruise passengers who will be visiting tourist attractions in Dominica. He said only vaccinated passengers who have booked pre-sold tours will be allowed to venture off into the island in the company of vaccinated tour operators. He said those who did not have any pre-sold tours will have to remain at restricted area constructed for them.
According to Bardouille, a screening area will also be constructed on the pier so that cruise passengers can be screened after they leave the ship before going off on pre-sold tours. He said passengers who are not screened or booked for organized or pre-sold tours will not be allowed to leave the pier. He stated that the bayfront at the Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard will be established into a safe zone where people who are not going on inland tours can stay.
The DASPA CEO also warned that taxi operators will no longer be allowed to wander around the seaport in the hopes of getting the services of any tourists. “There is the expectation that we will reduce the quarantine period for people who are fully vaccinated,” he revealed.
In a related development, the Executive Vice President of the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association (DHTA), Kevin Francis, has announced that the 12th edition of the Hike Fest will hold this year. “On May 15th, we’ll be going to Victoria Falls. This hike will be hosted by Rosalie Bay Eco Resort. And afterward, hikers can enjoy the amenities with a day pay, gifts, discounts, and massages,” he said.
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