LONDON — Dominica’s government has confirmed that it has raised enough funds to begin building a new international airport, which it says will position the island as an upmarket ecotourist destination.

After saving millions every month from the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme, the Skerrit administration – led by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit – has timed the news to coincide with the emergence of several luxury hotels and resorts, which will also be built with contributions from CBI applicants.

On his cabinet’s long-term vision, Skerrit said: “The only missing link for the country now is the international airport, with the hotels under construction and opening, with a resurgence in agriculture, agriculture expansion, with our programme to construct a new cruise village and a new port, improvement in our infrastructure [and] health facilities.”

Considered an under-the-radar green oasis, Dominica is now ready to welcome visitors back to the island, having worked tirelessly to restore pre-Hurricane Maria arrival numbers for 2017. The CBI Program, which was established in 1993 as a way for Dominica to reach economic independence, funded the majority of reinforcement works.

“Every bridge that we have fixed, every home that we have assisted, every school we have fixed, funds came from the government of Dominica utilizing the Citizenship by Investment Programme,” added Skerrit.