Tourism in Dominica: problems and prospects

Dominica's rugged, heavily-forested terrain, black sand beaches and difficult communications have long inhibited the development of tourism. However, these former disadvantages may now be seen as advantages for the niche market of nature tourism.The island's very isolation which has ensured the survival of endemic species of flora and fauna and of a distinctive culture, has become an asset for an alternative tourism industry. Yet not all those involved in Dominica's tourism planning see this as the way forward. Tensions between government and nongovernment tourist industry leaders may prevent the implementation of policies to manage tourism and other development efforts in a manner which sustains the environment on which nature tourism is based. This paper considers these policy conflicts and examines the issues involved. Much of the data comes from structured in-depth interviews with hoteliers, government officials and other tourism opinion makers in Dominica carried out in the summer of 1992