ROSEAU – Colin Piper, Chairman of Dominica Festivals Committee (DFC), has announced that Carnival proceedings are running smoothly following the successful opening of Carnival last weekend.
While noting that private sector sponsorship of Carnival events is beneficial to companies, the National Carnival Queen contestants will be funded through the organising body.
He also expressed the general sentiments of satisfaction received from private organisations, calypso associations and other carnival stakeholders regarding this year’s calendar of Carnival activities.
The organisation is open to any constructive comments concerning improvement.
The Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) has been marketing the island’s carnival activities through several mediums such as Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) TV stations within 18 Caribbean countries, regional SportsMax TV network, the OECS Newslink radio news programme, Caribbean 360 online news, and all local radio and news outlets, to name a few.
“Carnival is happening without a hitch [and] we are trying to get to every visitor coming into Dominica to increase economic activity,” Piper stated at a recent press conference. With this marketing boost marketing locally and regionally, as well as through social media, DDA hopes to convince those still undecided that they should come to the island to participate in the Real Mas.
The CEO of DDA also announced that air access has recently been improved with WINAIR’s addition of flights from St Maarten to Dominica’s Canefield Airport. With this new addition, the St Maarten to Dominica route is now available seven days a week – four days at the Douglas Charles Airport and the remaining three at the Canefield Airport. WINAIR also services Guadeloupe to Dominica four times weekly.
Several air access options are available through carriers LIAT, Seaborne Airlines and Coastal Air via the hubs of San Juan, St Maarten, Barbados, Antigua and others. Sea access via ferry exists to connect passengers from the neighbouring French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Upcoming Carnival events include the Showdown Mas Camp Calypso Tent at Harlem Plaza on Thursday, January 21; Carnival Village Lime at the forecourt of the Windsor Park Sports Stadium on Friday, January 22 and January 25 to 29; Calypso semi-finals at the Newtown Savannah on Saturday, January 23 and Carnival Princess Show at the Harlem Plaza on Sunday, January 24. (PR)
