by Brian Major
Last updated: 1:35 PM ET, Thu January 23, 2025
Travelers to Dominica can now complete immigration forms online. (Photo Credit: Brian Major)
Add the tiny nation of Dominica to the list of Caribbean destinations reporting
increased visitor arrivals in 2024.
The “Nature Island” hosted 83,976 visitors
last year, a 13 percent year-over-year increase compared with 2024, according
to officials at the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), the island’s tourism
development agency.
New hotels and expanded airlift were responsible for the 2024 visitor
uptick, say officials at the Discover Dominica Authority, the island’s tourism
development agency. The trends will continue in 2025, as United Airlines will
launch its second direct flight departing Saturdays from Newark Liberty
International Airport (EWR) to Dominica’s Douglas-Charles Airport (DOM)
beginning Feburary15, 2025.
The expanded United
flights follow extensive renovations and upgrades at Douglas-Charles
Airport, including a 6,351-foot runway extension to accommodate larger aircraft
and “enhance safety and reduce the risk of flight cancellations,” said DDA
officials. The airport’s terminal has been upgraded to “increase capacity and
improve overall operational efficiency,” they added.
Also in 2025, Dominica will
add new resorts, bringing 500 additional rooms to the destination, a 25 percent
hotel inventory increase for the island. The Anichi Resort and Spa, and Autograph
Collection by Marriott property, is under development in Dominica’s Portsmouth district
and will feature 128 single- and two-bedroom suites and presidential suites
with views of Picard Beach.
The clifftop Tranquility
Beach Dominica is a Hilton resort in development in Salisbury on Dominica’s
West Coast. The property will feature fully serviced premium vacation villas
and residences with 99 one- and two-bedroom condominium suites, studio suites
and two- and three-bedroom villas or tree house bungalows. Amenities and
services will include a spa, wellness center and gym and a fine dining
restaurant.
Also slated to debut this
year are the Ocean Edge Hotel featuring modern design and 38 ocean-facing rooms,
and the Sanctuary Rainforest Eco Resort and Spa, located in the rainforest based
in the Providence Estate in Laudat, Roseau Valley.
The property will be based
within the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and
will feature 72 luxury villas surrounded by lush vegetation, plus a spa, yoga
facility, bar and specialty organic restaurant. All resort developments are
part of Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment program.
Cruise Entry
Dominica’s 2024-2025
cruise season is projected to bring 375,000 cruise passengers from 235 cruise
calls to the destination, numbers DDA officials describe as “unprecedented.” The
country hosted 314,503 cruise ship visitors in 2023, according to Caribbean
Tourism Organization (CTO) data. In 2025, AIDA Cruises’ AIDAbella, Explora
Journeys’ Explora II, Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess and Majestic Princess
and Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady will make their first calls in Dominica.
Dominican has undertaken “upgrades
at major tourism sites around the island,” and “improvements to access roads,
reception facilities and trails” to “enhance Dominica’s service quality for
cruisers in preparation for the 2024-2025 season,” DDA officials said.
Also later this year, a
cable car to Dominica’s Boiling Lake will be completed, and provide an “accessible
and exhilarating” means for visitors to experience the volcanic activity of an iconic
Dominica natural wonder, said DDA officials. The cable car will feature 65
cabins, each accommodating 10 people running 869 feet.
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