With the purpose of developing cultural and religious tourism, the Ministry of Interior and Police and the Catholic University of Santo Domingo (UCSD) initiated in Cutupú, La Vega, a diploma course for young people from vulnerable sectors throughout the country, which will train them to promote the tourism potential and thus have a source of economic income.
A multi-sectoral team will train new guides, specialized in religious monuments, with the collaboration of the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), the Episcopal Conference, the National Police Studies Unit and the National Airport Tourism Commission.
During the opening ceremony, the Vice Minister of Preventive Security in Vulnerable Sectors, Mercedes Perez Ceballos, expressed satisfaction to see so many community members interested in learning about history, art and culture.
“We will name all of you precursors of the culture of peace and you will teach our visitors what we Dominicans are and have. We maintain our full support to grow with this project, to take it to many more people and to train good professionals who will leave us in high esteem with tourists,” he said.
Meanwhile, the general coordinator of the project, Angel Angeles, reported that the main objective is to prepare good guides with the ability to teach and transmit the cultural legacy from colonization to the present.
The diploma course covers Tourism in the Dominican Republic, History and evolution of the oldest trails in the country, The routes of the Christian faith and Dominican social and cultural identity, among other interesting topics.
Academic support will be provided by Celsa Albert, director of Postgraduate and Continuing Education of the UCSD; Kirsys de los Santos, in charge of Religious Tourism of MITUR and secretary of the Pastoral Commission of the Episcopate; Danny Rincón, director of the School of Tourism of the academy, and Luis Felipe Aquino, president of the Caribbean Tourism Exchange.
The event was attended by Luisa Jiménez, governor of La Vega; Antonio González, director of the Cutupú district board; General Mirla Matos, in charge of the Family Police School, and Colonel Ramón García, provincial commander of the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation, as well as Henry Mejía, regional director of Tourism.
Source: presidencia.gov.do