The Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association (DHTA) held its 52 nd Annual General Meeting on
27 th July, 2021, under the theme “Meeting the Membership Expectations”.
Mr. Benoit Bardouille, Chief Executive Officer at the Dominica Air and Sea Ports Authority (DASPA), expressed, “We all have the same expectation and hope; a vibrant tourism sector.” He explained that it is imperative that the DHTA works alongside the Ministry of Tourism to ensure that all tourism service providers meet international best practices.
President of the DHTA, Mr. Hans Schilders expressed gratitude to the 2020/2021 Board of Directors for their hard work and dedication especially under the COVID-19 circumstances. He noted that while the DHTA has faced numerous challenges over the past year, the association has made a continued effort to thrive within the tourism industry.
Schilders stated, “Our mindset is simply to meet the members expectations.” According to him, communication has been a main goal as they have opened various communication channels and reactivated quarterly general meetings. The DHTA seeks to continue to advocate for the effective communication of issues and proactive advancement of the private sector.
Ms. Vanessa Ledesma, Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director General of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) was the featured speaker. Ledesma commends Dominica for obtaining the safe travel stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council.
She notes that associations like the DHTA have a critical role to be the bridge between tourism sectors. She continues, “We are influential and vital, not only to the industry that we represent but to the communities that directly and indirectly partake in our successes and challenges.”
At the close of the meeting, the DHTA presented the 2021/2022 Board of Directors under the leadership of the current President, Mr. Hans Schilder. Schilder asserted that the aim of the 2021/2022 newly elected board is to have a financially sound DHTA to ensure the growth of a viable sector.
