by Emmanuel H. Joseph
Government Information Service
The Ministry of Tourism is getting ready to implement the European Union supported Tourism Sector Development Programme. That programme is a follow up to the recently concluded Eco- Tourism Development Programme which focused on enhancing fourteen eco-tourism facilities across the country.
The two-year Tourism Sector Development Programme will cost four point five (4.5) million E.C dollars and will focus on building community tourism around the island.
According to Tourism Minister, Hon. Ian Douglas, The ministry has already identified a number projects for implementation under this programme.
Hon. Ian Douglas, Minister
for Tourism and Legal Affairs
“In the first year, focus will be on building facilities and other supporting infrastructure at the Indian River, Wotten Waven, at Bellevue Chopin and at Layou River (Glo Cho). There will also be a key emphasis on capacity building for project leaders and project carriers to be involved in the process of development. Resources will also be made available for destination marketing and promoting, something which is so vitally needed if we are to maintain our market share and to ensure Dominica’s presence reaches across a wide range of players in the global tourism industry.”
The Minister went on to say that the Tourism Sector Development Programme will also provide technical and advisory services support to the ongoing work of the Ministry of Tourism and Discover Dominica which will enable the Ministry to focus greater attention on transferring skills and building capacity.
Meantime National Authorising Officer of the European Union office in Dominica, Edward Lambert, has said that this special framework of assistance will seek to increase the competitiveness of the Dominican economy.
National Authorising Officer,
Edward Lambert
“The SFA which is the Special Framework of Assistance, was a ten (10) year programme put into place in 1999. It was established principally to assist those countries whose economies would have been placed at a disadvantage as a result of the changes taking place in the restructuring of the banana industry. Under the SFA instrument, there were four (4) broad areas targeted which were banana commercialisation (has largely taken place), agricultural diversification, wider economic diversification and social protection. This particular programme falls under the component related to wider economic diversification and supports and seeks to build on the achievements that were gained under the Eco-Tourism Development Programme financed under the 8th EDF National Indicative Programme.”
The office of the National Authorising Officer has been established to coordinate all development assistance emanating from the European Commission and the European Investment Bank as well as the SFA.
This new programme is no exception which will take into consideration all the procurement rules and guidelines set by the European Union. A steering committee met at the Garraway Hotel on Thursday to provide guidance and advice for the success of this Tourism Sector Development Programme. |
