From Taxi Drivers to Tour Guides, How Dominica Is Raising the Bar on Visitor Experience

Dominica has just wrapped up a major training effort designed to sharpen the island’s tourism experience — and it wasn’t aimed at executives in boardrooms.

Instead, the Chief Experience Officer (CEO) Training Series brought together the people visitors actually meet: taxi drivers, tour guides, craft vendors, hair braiders, hotel staff and even forestry wardens. Over two weeks this summer, 147 of them gathered across the island for a program that focused on one thing — how to make Dominica’s visitor experience more consistent, more collaborative and more memorable.

The sessions, which ran from late July into mid-August, were organized by the Ministry of Tourism and the Discover Dominica Authority, with support from the Caribbean Tourism Organization. They were led by Norris Clement, a veteran trainer in service excellence with more than two decades of experience across the region.

The focus was less on rote hospitality lessons and more on mindset. Participants were urged to shift from “me” to “we,” to think less about individual jobs and more about the collective success of Dominica as a destination. Training touched on emotional intelligence, service recovery, teamwork and the idea that every single interaction has the power to shape the island’s reputation.

“Our service providers are the heartbeat of Dominica’s tourism industry,” said Marva Williams, CEO and director of tourism. “By investing in our people, we are investing in the continued growth and positive reputation of Dominica as the Nature Island of the Caribbean.”

It comes at a time when Dominica is more visible than ever. The island’s eco-tourism product is drawing a growing mix of adventure travelers, cruise passengers and wellness seekers, and officials say the visitor experience has to keep pace.

The Chief Experience Officer program is part of a broader push by the DDA to build human capital in tourism — a sector where small details, from a smile at a taxi stand to a conversation with a vendor, can make all the difference.

For Dominica, the message is clear: the Nature Island’s natural beauty may be unmatched, but its people remain the most important part of the journey.