Dominica tourism surges 15% as Cable Car nears October opening
Total visitor arrivals climbed to 496,635 in 2025, up from 432,989 in 2024 — average growth of roughly 15 percent, according to Discover Dominica Authority CEO Marva Williams at CHTA Marketplace 2026. Stayover arrivals rose 19% to 99,846, surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Q1 2026 stayover arrivals up another 10% year-over-year. Cruise tourism welcomed 409,761 passengers between October 2025 and April 2026, a 23% increase and the strongest cruise season since 2010-2011. The Dominica Cable Car, set to open October 2026, will become the world’s longest mono cable car system.
Sources: Caribbean Journal, May 14, 2026; CHTA Marketplace 2026 presentation.
VAT and import duty relief extended to ease cost-of-living
Dominica has extended VAT exemptions and import duty waivers on essential goods until July 2026 as part of measures to ease cost-of-living pressures. The relief, first introduced in the 2025/2026 Budget, aims to shield Dominican families and businesses from rising global prices amid escalating tensions involving Iran. The extension parallels the broader Caribbean policy posture — Barbados, Bahamas, Saint Lucia, and Grenada are each implementing different versions of the same external-shock hedge.
Source: Associates Times, recent reporting.
PM Skerrit suspends CBI applications from Iranians amid Middle East tensions
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced the suspension of Citizenship by Investment applications from Iranian nationals amid Middle East tensions, citing programme integrity and security concerns. The move follows similar restrictions Dominica imposed earlier on Russian and Belarusian applicants. The suspension lands at exactly the moment Saint Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Vincent are publicly discussing CBI futures at CIS26 — and signals Dominica’s continued positioning as one of the more regulatorily-attentive CBI programmes.
Source: Associates Times, recent reporting.
Geothermal plant approaches commissioning, alongside Cable Car
A geothermal energy plant in Dominica is moving toward operational status, which would position Dominica as a regional leader in renewable baseload generation and reduce the island’s exposure to imported-fuel volatility — the same volatility Barbados, Bahamas, and Kenya are absorbing this month. Combined with the Cable Car opening, the geothermal commissioning represents two of the most significant infrastructure milestones in Dominica’s modern history.
Source: Caribbean Journal, May 14, 2026.
Tanisha Balson of Dominica crowned Miss OECS 2026
Tanisha Balson of Dominica was crowned Miss OECS 2026 in a pageant held in Dominica. Kia Kirwan of Antigua and Barbuda was first runner-up and Ariel Bushay of Anguilla second runner-up. The win adds another diaspora pride moment to a month already heavy with Dominica milestones, and the pageant’s hosting in Dominica reinforces the country’s positioning as an OECS cultural and tourism centre.
Source: Associates Times, recent reporting.