Dominica is Safe, Nature-Positive Travel Lives On
Dominica must now grapple with the loss of a powerful champion in Daniel Langois, as well as the reputational impact of his murder.
Daniel Langlois, 66, and Dominique Marchand, 58, are shown in this undated image provided by the Daniel Langlois Foundation. Daniel Langlois Foundation
Canadians were shocked to learn last weekend of the brutal murder of Canadian entrepreneur, Daniel Langlois, and his partner, Dominique Marchand, in the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica, where the couple had built a luxury off-grid eco-retreat.
It was a viciously unfair ending for a couple that had poured their heart and soul into this small island of 72,000 people. But it would be a double tragedy if the takeaway for Canadians is that this was just a random act of violence, and that Dominica is too unsafe to visit.
When I first heard about the tragedy, my heart sunk in my chest. Not only was I sickened by the murders, but I knew how potentially devastating it could be for the Island. Dominica, which is still recovering from the disastrous effects of Hurricane Maria in 2017, is heavily reliant on tourism, and Langlois was in many ways, the poster person of Dominica’s nature-based approach to the industry.
That approach is one of the reasons my travel company, karibu adventures, began offering adventure tours in Dominica. Known as the ‘Nature Island,’ Dominica is strikingly pristine, with nine active volcanoes and covered in waterfalls and endless rainforest.
Rather than ripping it all up, Dominica has leaned into sustainable tourism as its differentiator — just last month it announced the creation of the world’s first marine protected area for sperm whales.
It is what drew Langlois, and many other Canadians, to the Island. The Quebec businessman, who made his fortune developing 3D animation for Hollywood blockbusters like "Titanic" and "Jurassic Park," first came to Dominica in 1997 and spent 20 years building his hotel, Colibri Ridge, which perches dramatically atop a mountain ridge.
Opened in 2022, the 14-room boutique hotel, with its luxury amenities and sustainability bonafides, helped to put relatively unknown Dominica on the map. It’s since been discovered by a host of media, with Time Magazine ranking it as one of The World’s Greatest Places for 2023, and making National Geographic Traveller’s 2024 Cool List.
In addition to the jobs and tourism dollars the hotel generates, Langlois also provided philanthropic support through his foundation, which provides funding for a local school, coral conservation and environment resilience. In November, he was awarded a Meritorius Service Award by the Dominica government for his contributions to sustainable development.
So Dominica must now grapple with the loss of a powerful champion, as well as the reputational impact of his murder. I know my company was immediately fielding calls from clients worried that the Island was not as tranquil and safe as they had thought.
The good news, if you can call it that, is that Dominica authorities have charged two Americans — Jonathan Lehrer and Robert Snyder — with murdering the couple. Lehrer is the owner of a neighbouring property, and had been in a long-running dispute with Langlois over a public road used to reach Colibri Ridge, that Lehrer claimed ran through his property. He had a reputation for aggressively confronting people walking or driving on the road, and had even put boulders and machinery to block its access.
I contrast this bizarre, internecine tragedy with my own experience in the country. On one of my first visits, I was lost and had gotten the wheel of my rental car wedged into on a deep concrete channel. The sun was setting, and I was getting nervous, when two local men emerged out of the forest. They spent two hours jimmying the wheel out, going back to their home to fetch various tools. They finally freed my vehicle, but refused to accept any payment for their help.
“One day when I need something, someone will be there to help me,” said one of the men as he brushed off my offer. Indeed, I imagine that Langlois and Marchand would want that for Dominica as well.