ROSEAU, Dominica – The Commonwealth of Dominica, located in the Eastern Caribbean, is known for its breathtaking natural beauty and ability to offer visitors unsurpassable experiences around the island, which will soon include the longest cable car ride.
The island strives for sustainability in the tourism sector, giving tourists original experiences that not only educate and are fun-filled but are also kind to nature.
Exciting attractions in the country include the world’s second-largest flooded fumarole from a volcano in Morne Trois Pitons National Park, the Boiling Lake. The lake is situated in the Valley of Desolation, a 200-foot-wide lake engulfed by vapour clouds and mesmerising views of the ocean.
Dominica has three national parks that are the Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is a 7,000 hectares large park that has a dense rainforest, crystal clear rivers, and waterfalls, such as the Emerald Pool that is fresh water from a 40 feet waterfall, the water remains cool and shallow The natural scenery is perfect for adventurous hikers that are nature lovers.
The Morne Diablotin National Park is famous for birdwatching to witness rare bird species. The nature park is named after the Creole word, Black-capped Petrel, which is the island’s highest peak at 4,474 feet above sea level. And the Nature Isle of the Caribbean has one of the longest hiking trails in the Caribbean, the Waitukubuli National Trail. The iconic 114-mile-long trail starts in Scott’s Head all the way into Cabits National Park.
The new cable car, soon to be the world’s longest cable car to the Boiling Lake, will be built by the Austrian company, Doppelmayr Group – this was announced by prime minister of Dominica, Dr Roosevelt Skerrit at a public press conference. During the press conference, Dr Roosevelt stated that he engaged with the owners of the Doppelmayr Group, which is a renowned company.
A feasibility study was conducted by a Switzerland-based engineering company, Outdoor Engineers, who concluded that the cable car project will triple Dominica’s tourism sector. The cable car project will create employment for local citizens during the implementation and thereafter the operational phases.
This project will boost employment in the hospitality and tourism sectors, as well as a significantly increase of cruise ship visitors by over fifty per cent. Dominica anticipates 15,000 visitors per day during peak season, which is a substantial increase from current passenger numbers.
This month at the Tourism Travel Marketplace, in Barbados, the Tourism Minister of Dominica, Hon. Denise Charles, revealed the detachable mono cable car US$54 million project.
The cable car will be 4.1 miles (6.6 kilometres) long and will transport carriers from Roseau Valley, all the way to the top of Boiling Lake in 20 minutes. The cable car will create accessibility for cruise ship passengers and travellers unable to hike the six-hour trail to Boiling Lake.
Minister Charles stated: “We are thrilled that Dominica will be home to the world’s largest cable car, encouraging more visitors than ever before to visit the beautiful Boiling Lake,” she added that “not only will this allow for more cruise visitors to explore our lush landscape while they are in port, but will also allow easier access to travellers who are unable to hike the rugged trail to its peak.”
This cable car feature will become a facility that will provide comfort and convenience for all passengers, and an experience to capture the Nature Isle from a bird’s eye view.
According to the chief executive officer of Tourism at Discover Dominica Authority, Colin Piper, the new cable car will start from Roseau Valley and reach about 150 yards from the Boiling Lake for visitors to experience Dominica’s Rainforest World Heritage area.
Piper indicated that “It is something unique, something different and we think it will set us apart and resonate with visitors who come to the island and schoolchildren who need to do school projects. It will also resonate with cruise lines who are always looking for new and different things to do and are looking for things where they can send a lot of people so logistically it works out.”
Minister Charles emphasised Dominica’s efforts in evolving into green industrialization by utilising nature to address climate change and resiliency. Dominica has various groundbreaking projects that attribute towards the island becoming an eco-friendly state. “Over the past decade, Dominica has been shaping its own destiny by making critical investments in more sustainable energy options. Within the next two years, our goal is to complete our first geothermal power plant, making Dominica one of the first islands to successfully replace fossil fuel-generated electricity with renewable energy.”
At Roseau Valley, there will be hospitality and retail amenities which will highlight the island’s distinct attributes. From the top of the station, there will be a cafe with a panoramic gallery and a statue of Dominica’s national bird, the Sisserou Parrot, which will be 19 feet tall. The cable car is expected to be completed in 2024.
Also known as the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, investors have this opportune time to invest in Dominica through the Citizenship by Investment programme through the available investment options, more particularly through the Economic Diversification Fund (EDF).
From a minimum contribution of US$100,000, through the EDF investors can support various public and private projects in the island state that include agriculture, education, healthcare, sports and recreation, and tourism sectors. Dominica’s tourism sector presents significant growth throughout 2023 and with the world’s largest cable car under construction, this will become one of the world’s best tourist attractions that investors can take part of.
