Interview with Expedia Employee Volunteers in Dominica
Dominica, a beautiful Caribbean island, is home to Morne Trois Pitons National Park – one of only three World Heritage sites in the Eastern Caribbean. A rugged and mountainous country, Dominica and its mostly untouched terrain attract visitors who come to mountain climb, hike, and enjoy the great outdoors in a tropical setting. As the word gets out about one of the most pristine destinations in the Caribbean, businesses and communities in Dominica face a significant challenge: How can they make their island a popular tourist destination without destroying the very habitat that attracts its visitors?
In order to help answer that question, volunteers from Expedia, Inc. spent two weeks in September on the ground in Dominica, working with a local community tourism organization to help develop and strengthen the tourism assets of the island. Expedia Employees partnered with tour operators and hotel and lodging owners to help them draft business plans and marketing materials that emphasize the preservation of the Dominica’s natural beauty and wildlife.
Three of those volunteers –Brenda, Diego, and Kristen – share their experiences with you here, and provide a behind-the-scenes look at sustainable tourism.
FoWH: What is the most unique aspect of Dominica that a visitor would see there – and not anywhere else?
Brenda: First, there are a large number of volcanic vents found in Dominica that aren’t found in many other places on Earth, places like Boiling Lake and Champagne Beach where streams of compressed gas come out the sea floor in hot and cold upwelling of spring water. The island’s volcanic history has left a rich collection of mineral springs and rivers - most are clean enough to drink from - and created a number of natural spa locations containing mineral muds around natural hot and cold mineral pools. Second, the people of Dominica are their country’s greatest asset. They are open and friendly; everyone says hello on the street. It’s easy for visitors to immerse themselves in the more traditional lifestyle of the island.
Kristen: The way that the Dominican people treat tourists -- they are very open and friendly to all new people that they meet, and not just conditioned to make money off of visitors – is a rare experience. The island itself is incredibly beautiful and not spoiled by over-development. On top of that, the lack of poisonous animals/snakes/bugs gve me a sense of safety in a country completely new to me.
FoWH: What are the greatest challenges related to tourism development in Dominica?
Diego: Turning the Island into a mass destination would damage the environment.
Brenda: The mass tourism industry. Big resorts and unchecked foreign development could destroy the untouched feel of the island and hurt the community spirit that makes the destination so compelling and safe for visitors. Another threat is the environmental impact of the cruise ships. With hundreds of visitors going to the same few sites, environmental degradation is a real threat, as is the garbage left on the island by these day visitors.
Kristen: Losing that honest and open friendliness that Dominicans have now would be a shame. Many of the beautiful natural attractions, like the waterfalls and trails, are already overcrowded and in danger of being destroyed.
FoWH: What would you say to someone who is considering vacationing in Dominica? What advice would you give them?
Brenda: I would tell them to go, especially if they are interested in seeing an active volcano. I would tell any prospective visitor to be open and unafraid, as Dominica must be one of the safest places left on earth. I would also tell a visitor to go into the communities and experience the traditional Dominican way of life. Just walk around and talk to people, ask questions, and say hello to everyone. Dominica would really be best toured by private car but the geography and condition of the roads means a road tripmight not be the right choice for all visitors. If not hiring a car, definitely stay in each region for a few nights and move around the island a bit.
Diego: Go! It is a great place. Stay in two or three different areas to have the opportunity to discover more.
Kristen: Don't expect a typical Caribbean vacation (e.g., sipping frozen drinks on a beach, or readily finding your favorite soft drink at the neighborhood store).
FoWH: What resources would you send to someone who wanted to plan a trip to Dominica to see the Morne Trois Pitons National Park?
Brenda: Websites such as the Discover Dominica portal or southeastdominica.com offer great destination overviews, fact sheets, packing and planning information.
FoWH: What is the most frequent question you have gotten from local tourism enterprises? And the most challenging question?
Brenda: How to market is the frequent question. The best way to reach out is the challenge. More traditional travel marketing channels may not be the most effective way to access the type of traveler most drawn to Dominica - the adventure traveler and the backpacker. Additionally, marketing as a concept is a complex strategy and the Dominican travel industry has a bit of a learning curve ahead of it. The challenge is to relate the principals of sales and marketing in a way that makes sense in a local context.
Diego: How can we get money to finance our projects? Getting funding is a major challenge.
Kristen: How do we get more stayover tourists, so we don't have to depend on cruises so much?
FoWH: What steps have you taken to help Dominica transform into a leader of sustainable tourism?
Brenda: I have done my best to let the people of Dominica know how unique their way of life is to the Western tourist, and how much interest that same tourist has in learning about daily life in the community. But, we did not transform Dominica’s position on sustainable tourism. The country is already deeply concerned about the preservation of its natural environment. What I think we have done is to transform community expectations around the travel business, empower the residents to strengthen the environmental leadership position the country already demonstrates, and provide guidance on travel marketing conventions required to bring this leadership to a broader travel audience.
Kristen: For my role in the project, I was able to put together a marketing plan for Dominica’s Southeast Tourism Development Committee to get them started on creating awareness of what they have to offer, both to tourists, and to other partners on the island. To help make this sustainable, the marketing plan also contains specific short, mid and long-term successes, and outlines next steps to achieve each of those goals. We also created a website for them (www.southeastdominica.com).
FoWH: What have you learned from the tour operators here in Dominica that will help you with your job when you return home?
Diego: Even through many on the island are cash poor, they live richly. I love that.
Kristen: The importance of teamwork and commitment. How important tourism is to these communities to bring in new income. That we need to more effectively promote places like Dominica to the Expedia customers who would want to go there.
Brenda: My experience in Dominica reinforces the commitment I have made in my life to nurture community tourism in a way that makes environmental sustainability an income source for local residents. The people of this wonderful country have reminded me about the kind of person I want to be and the kind of world I want to live in. I am pleased that my company cares about sustainable tourism and the existence of the World Heritage Alliance gives me a sense of pride to work here.
