With mounting pressure coming from all around, many of the Caribbean islands have again turned to the safer tourism industry, trying to see how much they might be able to squeeze out this way.

Recently, even tourism has come under fire and in this particular instance it is England that has chosen to start applying what has been described as ridiculously high tax payments in regards to Air Passenger Duty (APD) in flights out of the United Kingdom (UK).

If this Air Passenger Duty is instituted it would cause countless hardships on many Caribbean countries that know the European market is the most profitable as far as tourism is concerned. It is likely that several small island tourism industries will take an incredible hit from this move by the UK. Also the region’s tourism sector will be at a competitive disadvantage to other destinations which were further away but in a band that charged less duty.

In addition, the Band C tax, the area in which the Caribbean falls, is to increase by 50 per cent next year, whereas Band B would increase by 33 per cent.

The fact of the matter is that with the Caribbean having so many financial rugs being pulled from under their feet it can least afford to not take a firm stand against what the United Kingdom has proposed.

It often said that tourism is everybody’s business and at no time does that ring more true that the present. The Caribbean simply cannot afford to have this happen.

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Editor’s note:I’m not a complainer. Really, I’m not. But having lived my first 68 years in the USA, I find that things being different take me some getting used to. Understand, please, I’m not asserting that “different” is wrong. It’s probably right for here; only I’m unused to it.

So, I’m sucking it up and learning to accept those different things. Still, I think it may amuse Dominicans reading this and help inform and prepare Americans, and Europeans and other “1st-worlders” wishing to settle here as well.

I’ll write about those differences – big and small – from time to time, and will preface it with this paragraph so that you know I’m not complaining.

The Dominican Difference #9: Signs

There’s a sign in Calibishie on a building that used to house Domcan’s. The place of business closed and moved to Castle Bruce about a decade ago, but the sign still proclaims the place is open for business. There’s a doctor whose new office is across form the Police Station on the Bay Street in Portsmouth, but a sign on a pharmacy on the next street still proclaims that the doctor’s office is there, and gives an old and wrong phone number.

I suppose that in Dominica everyone knows who’s who and where things are anyhow, because it’s all a rather small, tight-knot community. And that’s good – as far as it goes. But it sure can mislead and confuse us newcomers!

All I ask is that old and misleading signs either be torn down or painted over. Is that too much to ask?

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Big Papa’s Restaurant & Sports Bar was a big disappointment. We went on a night the restaurant had advertised specials, but we found the menu limited because supposedly it was the regular chef’s night off. It was also the regular waiter’s night off, and the replacement knew nothing and could do less. They also had no fruit juices or sodas, only alcoholic drinks to offer. The food was not very good and the price was high.

They offer “free” Internet and we had our laptop with us. The Internet was free, but the wireless connection did not work, and they demanded $5 for “electricity” and to use a wired connection. The wait for the food was over an hour. And coffee at the end of dinner came in a tiny espresso cup, but was regular coffee. This place is only steps from two good restaurants, the Purple Turtle and the Blue Bay. We suggest you go to one of them instead.

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