Last Updated on September 10, 2020, 9:21 AM AST by Anthony Morris
A decision has made to cancel the top signature event of Dominica, the World Creole Music Festival. The event, which was scheduled for October 23, 24 and 25, would have been the 22nd edition of the event.
The World Creole Music Festival saw a footfall of over 20,000 attendees in 2019, and the event has served as a strong economic stimulant for the island.
The Honorable Denise Charles, the Minister for Tourism, International Transport and Maritime Initiatives, officially announced the cancellation of the event stating during an interview on August 28.
She said that the country would have loved to have the World Creole Music Festival, but as these are challenging times and the health and safety of the citizens is a priority and, the government has taken the decision to cancel the World Creole Music Festival for 2020.
The decision of cancelling the World Creole Music Festival was extremely important.
The Dominica Festivals Committee did thorough consultation with approximately forty diverse stakeholders and the members of the Dominica Festivals Committee. All of them have played a vital role in the implementation and success of the festival over the years.
Miss Charles also said to the patrons of the importance of the protocols established for COVID-19, she stated that they have to adhere to the protocols, as a government, they cannot encourage mass gathering activities till things come under control.
Given the current world pandemic, an assessment was done of the status of the current source markets to include Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Antigua and by extension North America and Europe (France, England).
The analysis included the number of COVID-19 active cases, border restrictions and the overall ability of individuals to travel.
It was concluded that there is uncertainty as it relates to airline capacity and frequency and that new protocols for travel and mass gatherings may hinder the experience for patrons significantly.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
