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2018 Annual Economic and Financial Review
DOMINICA
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48
Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
visitors is estimated to have declined by
13.3 per cent to 204,457, driven by a sharp
reduction in both the number of stayover
visitors and the number of cruise ship
passengers, the two largest subcategories of
visitors. The number of cruise ship
passengers fell by 14.4 per cent to 134,466
and accordingly, there were 14 fewer cruise
calls. A decrease of 10.5 per cent was also
observed in the number of stayover visitors,
reflecting a fall in arrivals from France
(45.4 per cent), the United Kingdom
(29.6 per cent) and the USA (23.4 per cent).
Moderating the decline in stayover arrivals
were increases in visitors from the Caribbean
(7.3 per cent), Dominica’s largest source
market, and Canada (4.3 per cent). The rise
in stayover visitors from the Caribbean was
likely to be associated with the reintroduction
of the annual World Creole Music Festival in
October 2018, following a hiatus in 2017 due
to the hurricane. Further deepening the
contraction in activity in the sector, the
number of excursionists and yacht passengers
declined by 27.8 and 15.3 per cent
respectively. Consistent with the decline in
stayover arrivals, specifically those in paid
accommodation, tourism expenditure declined
by 40.0 per cent to $186.7m in 2018.
Preliminary estimates indicate that output in
the manufacturing sector declined by
25.0 per cent in 2018, following four years of
decreases in activity. The sector’s
contribution to total output therefore moved
downwards to 1.8 per cent from 2.2 per cent
in the previous year. This outturn was
partially associated with a fall in the output of
beverages by 57.2 per cent, partly reflecting
the closure of the Dominica Brewery and
Beverages Ltd. Tempering the contraction in
the sector, the production of paints increased
by 84.8 per cent and notably, the
manufacturing of soaps resumed in 2018. Due
to the permanent departure of Ross University
School of Medicine, it is estimated that
activity in the education sector declined by
55.5 per cent, following a 6.9 per cent
contraction in the previous year.
Accordingly, the sector’s contribution to total
output decreased to 5.7 per cent in 2018 from
12.1 per cent in 2017. Also affected by the
departure of Ross University, value added in
the real estate, renting and business activities
sector was compressed by 9.8 per cent. This
outturn was also somewhat attributable to
damages sustained by owner occupied and
rental dwellings from the passage of hurricane
Maria. These events have also partly
contributed to a 25.9 per cent decrease in
output in the electricity and water sector.