Roseau, Dominica– April 20, 2010……… The Government of Dominica through the Ministry of Tourism, the Discover Dominica Authority and the Ministry of Social Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs is seeking to position the country to take advantage of the new niche Destination Wedding and Honeymoon market.
In 2009, the Government of Dominica, with financial support from the European Commission under the SFA 2006 Tourism Sector Development Programme recruited Ms. Nathalie John, a Wedding and Honeymoon consultant to provide technical assistance to help prepare the country for the lucrative Destination Wedding and Honeymoon market.
A four part Wedding and Honeymoon Workshop series got underway in Roseau on Monday, April 19th 2010.
The workshops are targeted at wedding planners, customer relations managers, hoteliers, taxi drivers, caterers, musicians, cake makers, florists, decorators, videographers among other stakeholders.
Topics to be covered during the workshop series include: Preparing for the Destination Wedding and Honeymoon market; Understanding the Destination Wedding and Honeymoon market and Creating a Wedding friendly culture: Design and Décor.
Speaking at the opening of the Workshop Series, Minister for Social Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs, Hon. Gloria Shillingford stated that her Ministry was committed to working with the Ministry of Tourism and the Discover Dominica Authority in an effort “to establish Dominica as the premier wedding and honeymoon destination of the Caribbean if not the world”.
The Minister acknowledged that the present system of processing the marriage license application in Dominica “requires review and modernisation”.
“I am happy to inform you that efforts are being made to address these concerns and we are at the stage where Cabinet has approved amendments to the Marriage Act. These amendments, it is hoped will greatly expedite the process and help place Dominica at the forefront as a wedding and honeymoon destination.”
The Destination Wedding and Honeymoon market is one of the fastest growing segments in the tourism industry worldwide valued at US$12 billion.
Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner in Dominica. The sector brought in $193 million into the economy in 2008 both in direct and indirect contributions.
The Government of Dominica is convinced that through a partnership between the public and private sectors, Dominica can increase significantly its foreign exchange earnings from tourism by taking advantage of the financially rewarding destination wedding and honeymoon market.
