Businessmen and professionals from the private tourism sector participating in the Top Resa fair in Paris, France, highlighted the impact of the Dominican Republic at the event and affirmed that the results achieved during the four days of the event ratified the country as the favorite destination of the French outside the European continent.
The representatives of hotel groups, tour operators, travel agencies, airports, airlines and the banking sector considered that the stand of the Ministry of Tourism in Top Resa became the great novelty of the fair by registering a remarkable flow of French tourism professionals and leaders interested in doing business with the Dominican Republic.
In a special way they pondered the direct meetings of the Minister of Tourism David Collado with his French counterpart Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne; with the group Entreprises du Voyage (EDV), which brings together more than 2000 travel agencies in France; with the Karavel Promovacances group; with the union of Tour operators SETO; with the airlines Air France and Air Caraibes; with Laurent Abitbol, president of the powerful hotelier Marietton; with the Association of Tourist Journalists of France (AJT) and with a delegation of the French overseas departments: Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Although the sanitary restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic limited the national participation in Top Resa, the Dominican Republic was present in Top Resa with a delegation headed by Collado together with the director of ProDominicana Biviana Ribero; Ambassador Rosa Hernández de Grullón; the director of the Office of Tourism Promotion in France, Mercedes Castillo, a part of the cabinet of Mitur and representatives of various areas of private tourism.
The delegation also included the past president of ASONAHORES and general manager of La Romana International Airport, Luis Emilio Rodríguez Amiama; the senior vice-president of the Puntacana Group, Francesca Ranieri; the vice-president of tourism business of Banco Popular Dominicano, Juan Martin De Oliva; the president CEO of General Air Services, Gustavo de Hostos; the president of the Ibero-American Forum of Tourism Journalists and leader of ADOMPRETUR, Luis José Chávez; and hotel executives Ramon Tejeda, of Coral Hospitality Corp; Carla Sajiun Nistal, of Amhsa Marina; Meicy Diaz de Garrido, of HODELPA; and Guilliana Carniel, of Viva Wyndham Resorte, among others.
Juan Martín De Oliva, vice-president of the tourism business area of Banco Popular, affirmed that the country’s presence at Top Resa exceeded initial expectations, both because of the impressive flow of visitors to the Dominican stand, which turned out to be the most popular at the fair, and because of the productive agenda developed by Minister David Collado, who advanced several agreements and negotiations with airlines, tour operators, travel agencies, tourism authorities and the main guild of French tourism communicators.
“Our participation also served to send a clear signal in the French market and throughout Europe that the recovery of Dominican tourism is a fact, thanks to the joint efforts of the Government and the private sector and the progress we have made in controlling the pandemic and reactivating the industry,” said the banking executive.
He said that Banco Popular joined the Top Resa delegation because France is too important a market for the country and because it remains committed to continue supporting not only investment in tourism, but also in all areas of the national economy.
Securing winter tourism
Sebastián García, of the Meeting Point Dominicana group, representative of important tour operators from France, Germany, United Kingdom, Austria and Holland, among other countries, assured that the Caribbean country is the long distance destination with the best conditions to attract winter tourism in Europe.
He said that the participation in Top Resa has served to convince the French market that the Dominican Republic is a destination that does not offer any complications for visitors, while ensuring the best health safety conditions in Latin America by the vaccination program that has developed in the tourist staff and the general population.
