The Dominican Republic hosted the “First Central American Strategic Forum on Sports Tourism for the Economic and Social Development of the SICA Region”, an initiative of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), which seeks to promote sports tourism throughout the Caribbean region.
The activity was headed by the deputy and president of Parlacen, Silvia García Polanco, who highlighted the importance of sports tourism as an engine of regional development and legislator Belinda Núñez, member of the tourism commission of the entity. In addition, the Vice Minister of Tourism for International Cooperation, Carlos Peguero, underlined the country’s commitment to the promotion of this segment of the sector.
During the forum, Resolution AP/1-355/2024 was presented and read, recommending the SICA Council of Ministers of Tourism to promote sports tourism as a destination strategy for the economic development of the region.
Discussions focused on the challenges of sports tourism and its contribution to economic, social and sustainable development.
They also addressed the impact of sports tourism on tourist destinations with interventions by personalities such as Patricia Iraldo, founder of Happy Dolphins and Marcus Bohm, founder of the Master of the Ocean event.
The forum included presentations on sports tourism from the perspective of demand, market volume and potential, as well as the marketing and promotion of sports events. In addition, golf as a sport and wealth-generating industry for the region was discussed, with speakers such as Ovidio Díaz, president of FEDECATUR, and Juan Cohen, executive director of the Dominican Republic’s National Commission for the Promotion and Development of Golf.
Also, prominent figures such as Morena Valdez, Minister of Tourism of El Salvador; Luis Guillermo Chévez, Undersecretary of State in the Office of Planning, Management and Investment of the Secretariat of Tourism of Honduras; and Erzi Marleni Espinoza Flores, Director of Tourism Product Development of the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism, also participated.
Source:Arecoa.com
