By Malaika Laurent
Caribbean Net News Dominica Correspondent
Email: malaika@caribbeannetnews.com
ROSEAU, Dominica: Hoteliers in Dominica are concerned that too many hotels are closing down and have blamed the financial institutions for pressuring entrepreneurs in the industry.
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| DHTA President Judith Pestaina |
President of the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association Judith Pestaina is disturbed about the current situation facing hoteliers and explains that the financial pressures they face is making it increasingly difficult to move forward in the industry.
Pestaina believes that there needs to be more co-operation to enhance the investment environment.
“We think there needs to be a re-think on the lending terms and conditions from the banks, we think that there should be greater partnership with the private sector to see how we can ensure that Dominicans are successful in that kind of investment.
“Small hotels in the context of our Dominican tourism have to have lending policies which would encourage those small hotels to survive and refurbish them; bring them up to a standard which will be attractive, which will be competitive so you will not just dismiss them as not being suitable because they are not getting the support.
“There has to be some marriage between the banks and the private sector in that respect,” Pestaina said.
Another Dominican hotelier, Atherton Martin, agrees that the policies of the financial institutions are not helping small entrepreneurs.
He noted that there needs to be ‘a coming together of minds’ between the public sector, the private sector and the financial bodies to better understand the issues surrounding tourism.
Martin is suggesting that banks provide support not only for construction, but also for marketing assistance and management after the construction of small properties.
“If we understand the whole product that we are saying is Dominica’s tourism product, we would realise that the banks, the insurance companies and everybody else has to buy in…if we have a good product in hand, our job is to do everything we can to promote, to improve and to strengthen it,” Martin said. |
