Caribbean Airlines Launches First Flight Between Dominica and Barbados
- Özgür Töre
On Sunday, September 20, Caribbean Airlines launched its first flight between the Commonwealth of Dominica and Barbados.
Available on Saturdays and Sundays in the initial phase, the 1-hour flight will gradually expand its frequency to four times weekly by October 28th.
As one of the world's least affected countries by COVID-19, Dominica reopened its borders for tourists on August 7th, following strict travel protocols.
Known as the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, Dominica has a thriving ecotourism sector. Several world-branded and boutique eco-luxury resorts opened in recent years, built thanks to foreign investors who also wanted to become citizens of Dominica. Through a special Programme, called Citizenship by Investment (CBI), the government collaborated with hoteliers and investors to transform Dominica into a 5-star destination. According to a report published yearly by the Financial Times' PWM magazine, Dominica is the best country for CBI — a position it has retained over the past four years.
Carefully vetted investors can obtain Dominica's citizenship via two routes: making a one-off minimum contribution of US$100,000 to a government fund, or investing at least US$200,000 in pre-approved hotels and resorts. The government pledged to prioritise building Dominica's first international airport this fiscal year, after saving US$5 million monthly for this from the CBI Programme.
Dominica's Tourism Minister, Ms Denise Charles, said during the inauguration ceremony on Sunday that the new flight "has opened up a new gateway for us in Dominica to access Latin American countries and other international destinations."
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit commented during a programme on Sunday: "We look forward to a very strong partnership with Caribbean Airlines as we seek to improve on air access into Dominica, in the medium term, as we work towards the construction of our international airport."
In December last year, experts at the Financial Times predicted that Dominica would become one of the top 20 tourism destinations of the future. Since its niche is eco-luxury, wellness, nature immersion and intimacy, Dominica is one of the safest holiday destinations in current times. Families who wish to invest in Dominica and obtain its citizenship can apply jointly and benefit from the recent expansion of dependant eligibility.
