Roseau, Dominica – (January 25, 2021) The Minister for Tourism, International Transport and Maritime Initiatives Honourable Denise Charles on December 2, 2020 announced that the Government of Dominica had cancelled Dominica’s 2021 Carnival celebrations. It was felt that the staging of Dominica’s Carnival in 2021 would be a health risk that the Government was not willing to take given that the Coronavirus pandemic had not subsided and, the risk of further spread was high with mass gathering events.

At a Carnival Stakeholders consultation on January 13, 2021, Festival and Events Manager of the Dominica Festivals Committee, Marva Williams, further clarified what this means for event organisers seeking to hold events during the Carnival season. She said, “Carnival 2021 is a calendar of events, it is a brand. It is a product which is owned by the Government of Dominica, which means that the assets of the Carnival, the name, Dominica’s Carnival, Mas Domnik, the Real Mas, belongs to the Government of Dominica. So, if the Government says that Dominica’s Carnival is cancelled then no event organizer should use the phrases “Dominica’s Carnival”, “The Real Mas”, or “Mas Domnik” in the promotion of any initiative that they are having during the season in which the Carnival would have taken place.

Importantly, event organisers are reminded that all events must be approved by the Chief of Police and the relevant health authorities prior to promoting and hosting any event, and that all the health and safety protocols to curb the spread of COVID-19 must be adhered to once approval has been granted for their event to take place.

For more information on Dominica, contact Discover Dominica Authority at +1 767 448 2045. Or, visit Dominica’s official website: www.DiscoverDominica.com, follow Dominica on Twitter., Instagram and Facebook and take a look at our videos on YouTube.

About Dominica: About Dominica: Dominica (pronounced Dom-in-EEK-a, and not to be confused with the Dominican Republic) is a haven for adventure travelers seeking a unique vacation that includes: hiking and adventure, cultural events/festivals, diving and water sports, whale/dolphin watching and canyoning adventures. Dominica lies south of Guadeloupe and north of Martinique in the Eastern Caribbean. Air travelers can connect to Dominica on Air Antilles, Air Sunshine, Coastal Air Transport, interCaribbean Airways, Caribbean Airlines, LIAT, Seaborne Airlines/Silver Airways, or WINAIR from the surrounding hubs of Antigua, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, St Lucia, the British Virgin Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.