UK Embassy dismisses fake travel advisory letter circulating in Dominica

Statement Issued by the United Kingdom Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados regarding fake advisory letter in Dominica.
Statement Issued by the United Kingdom Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados regarding fake advisory letter in Dominica.

The United Kingdom Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados dismissed a fake travel advisory letter spreading in Dominica. The document started circulating on Thursday morning, after which the statement was issued.

“It has come to our attention that a document purporting to be UK travel advice has been circulating in Dominica. This document is fake,” the UK Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados, stated while maintaining that its citizens have no threat during their travel to Dominica. 

The Embassy said travelling to Dominica is safe, “Most visits to Dominica are trouble-free; there’s no recent history of terrorism in Dominica,”. It advised citizens to still be vigilant and follow weather advice during the Hurricane Season. 

Statement Issued by the United Kingdom Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados regarding fake advisory letter in Dominica.
Statement Issued by the United Kingdom Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados regarding fake advisory letter in Dominica.

Prime Minister of Dominica, Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, also advised people to be guided and safeguard themselves from misinformation.

The letter, purporting to be UK travel advice, was so intense that it was directly created to tarnish Dominica’s image ahead of cruise ship season. The fake letter referred to the island as a crime-rich and unsafe space for foreigners. Some media houses also circulated fake information without doing any fact-checking. 

Fake letter
Fake letter

Many locals have lashed at political parties for running dirty campaigns that can affect the locals associated with the tourism and hospitality industry. The letter was part of fear-mongering being done by the opposition as it tried to find new methods of spoiling the country’s image.

“This is wrong; it is not fair play; why United Workers Party want to do something that is gonna affect our lives? If you scare foreigners with such fake letters, then it is gonna be our loss, the loss of locals who make money by providing services to tourists,” said a local named Miriam Josephs. 

Another local named John Fontaine also expressed anguish on fake information, citing that such people must be prosecuted for their actions, “The opposition people need to take a chill and stay back; why they want to kill our island’s reputation? Dominica is safe; there are no such things happening or ever happening, as they mentioned in the fake letter. For God’s Sake, Stop it now,”.

The fake letter comes as the country goes into snap general elections on 6 December 2022. It is also a symbol of desperation, showing how the opposing forces from within the island are trying to tarnish its reputation internationally.