‘Peace and Prosperity’ Tourism Award Granted to Dominica

Dominica received a Champions in Challenge award from The International Institute of Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) at the 4th annual Global Resilience Summit in London last month. Discover Dominica Authority won the title for their Recovery for Rediscovery Campaign. This campaign portrayed the island’s recovery efforts after the 2017 Hurricane Maria. The funds came largely from its successful Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme.

The Champions in Challenge award represents the importance of the tourism sector as “a force of good, aiding recovery, boosting resilience and promoting prosperity through ethical and sustainable practices,” wrote Daily Travel News.

The awards “serve as role models for both current and future leaders in guiding the continued exponential growth of the industry towards a sustainable future that contributes to both peace and prosperity,” said IIPT Founder and President, Louis D’Amore.

Over 6 million dollars have been spent by the Commonwealth of Dominica in order to rehabilitate tourism sites after the damage caused by natural disasters in recent years. The money spent by the government was used to repair roads, bridges and the island’s airport. According to a 2019 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, implementing disaster risk reduction action and modernising infrastructure was one of Dominica’s top priorities. EC$43 million was spent between 2015-2017 on the Douglas Charles Airport, the island’s regional hub, after tropical storm Erika. The rehabilitation funds were provided by the CBI Programme.

The IIPT upholds the value that every tourist is potentially an Ambassador of Peace. Dominica expects 280,000 guests in the 2019-2020 cruise season, estimates the Director of Tourism, Colin Piper. Tourism investments are essential in offering tourists the opportunity to rejuvenate their mind and body in the country’s lush rainforests, towering mountains, and welcoming waterfalls. As ambassadors, tourists are likely to spread the positivity of the country in their own communities back home.

The Citizenship by Investment Programme was vital in Dominica’s journey to strengthen its resilient tourism sector. The Programme thoroughly vets investors who hope to attain a Dominican citizenship and opens doors to mobility across 140 countries and territories in the world. They can choose between contributing to the Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) or investing in pre-approved hotels and resorts. Aside from being a member of a global community, investors also enjoy the right to live and work in a peaceful democracy and the ability to have their citizenship inherited.