Dominica to host Eco-Tourism Conference in May

http://www.pymesdominicanas.com/english/articles/ma_pampo.htm

Dominica to host Eco-Tourism Conference in May

Unique destination’s goal is to attract visitors who love nature; event
dedicated to 128 year old lady hailed as world’s oldest human.

By John Collins

Roseau, Dominica – Renowned as the “Nature Island,” Dominica is gearing
up to welcome hundreds of visitors to the first Ma Pampo World
Eco-Tourism Conference to be held on the island May 31 to June 9,
announced Parry Bellot, director of the Eco-Tourism Association of
Dominica, which is hosting the event.

Although one of the most picturesque destinations in the Caribbean,
Dominica is little known because of its small tourism infrastructure and
the difficulty in reaching it since it does not have a jet airport. With
only 800 rooms in various accommodations, last year it received about
323,000 visitors and the majority of them (250,000) were cruise ship
passengers.

The island nation of Dominica, with 75,000 inhabitants, occupies a land
mass of 289 square miles between Guadeloupe and Martinique 432 miles
southeast of Puerto Rico in the Windward Islands.

“Dominica is a most appropriate site for the conference since the year
2002 has been proclaimed the ‘International Year of Ecotourism’ by the
United Nations,” said Bellot. “A major aim of the event is, not only to
publicize the unique character of Dominica, but also to, hopefully,
insure greater participation in the nation’s tourism product by rural
eco-inns, cottages and apartments, especially since the occupancy rates
in outlying villages has been low in the last few years.”

Bellot said the government of Dominica “sees the forthcoming conference
as a unique opportunity to further highlight Dominica’s growing
reputation as a major eco-tourism destination.”

Indicating that the conference “will identify priority issues and the
general direction by systematically reviewing eco-tourism in various
destinations,” Dominica’s minister of Tourism Charles Savarin said “we
will examine ways to strengthen the capacity of government and the
private sector to effectively utilize eco-tourism as an instrument for
sustainable development while strengthening social, economic and natural
and cultural resources.”

Among the areas are the construction sector and its professionals such
as architects, Savarin said, on matters such as design, layouts and
construction for tourism facilities that “can contribute meaningfully to
Dominica’s overall tourism product.”

Dominica tourism business very young

Tourism is a well-established industry in most of the Caribbean, but
Savarin said that in Dominica “it is still a very young in the business
and has only recently begun to focus on the whole question of developing
tourism as a major sector of the economy..”

Indicating that Dominica is different than most destinations that put
the emphasis on “sea, sand and sun,” Savarin said “we want to promote
Dominica as it is and not give the impression that we are something else
because Dominica, as it is, has powerful attractions. These sights
include abundant bird watching, archaeological sites, virgin rain
forests, waterfalls, whale watching, mountain climbing and scuba
diving.”

The conference is being dedicated to Elizabeth “Ma Pampo” Israel, who
has been hailed by Time Magazine as “the World’s Oldest Human,” and
Dominica’s 23 other centenarians. Today 128 years old, the lady was born
January 27, 1875 according to the records in her parish church. Born as
the daughter of a slave, she went to work on a plantation at the age of
25 and retired 79 years later. She ascribes her longevity to a diet of
dumplings and bush tea. Her closest friend and younger neighbor is
118-year old Rose Peter.

“We hope to have aspecial ceremony honoring these centenarians and we
hope Oprah Winfrey, who loves Dominica, will be able to join us,” said
Bellot. “She is a lady who is very sensitive to these issues and takes
great pride in highlighting positive things.

The range of accommodations, while somewhat limited, fit every
pocketbook from the first class Fort Young Hotel in Roseau with every
amenity to the about to be opened Holiday Huts in the heart of
Dominica’s Tropical Rain Forest. Visitors from Puerto Rico will find a
particular welcome at Holiday Huts which is owned and operated by Gaston
Gachette, a former resident of San Juan who was associated with
Navieras.

Organizer Bellot said he “is quite pleased” with the response to the
conference among a variety of targeted participants including health and
conservation enthusiasts, bird watchers, writers, alternative medicone
followers, hikers, walkers, back-packers, nature lovers, river bathers,
whale watchers and heritage preservationists, among others.

Bellot expressed appreciation to a number of sponsors including the
Caribbean Hotel Association, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the
Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association, the University of the West Indies
and American Eagle Airlines.
Received on Sat Apr 20 09:15:43 2002