The Minister of Tourism, David Collado, led the opening ceremony of the Dominican stand at the Top Resa fair in Paris, with the declared objective of reaffirming the country’s leadership in the Caribbean region and sending a clear signal of the firm progress of the reactivation process of its tourism offer.
Collado, who was accompanied by the director of Prodominicana, Biviana Riveiro Disla; the ambassador Rosa Hernández de Grullón and the ambassador to UNESCO, Andrés L. Mateo, said that the Dominican delegation will exhaust during the fair an intense program of business meetings with tour operators, airlines and other actors of the French and European tourism.
He highlighted that the Dominican Republic maintains an excellent projection to exceed tourist arrivals in the last quarter of 2021, compared to the figures recorded in the same period of 2019, and advanced that the month of December is projected with more than 25 percent of reservations compared to data from two years ago.
“We are coordinating with the main tour operators in France, which has a special significance for the Dominican Republic, as it is the main long-haul destination for the French,” the official noted.
He explained that the Ministry of Tourism is trying to rescue markets that had been neglected and projecting to the world that we are the only country in the Region that has vaccinated all industry personnel, while maintaining efficient health control measures to protect visitors, as it is doing with the general population.
He indicated that the Dominican stand at Top Resa summarizes the colorful and diverse attractions offered by the country and is arranged on an island with an area of 150 meters, an installation where a savings of 60 percent was achieved compared to the cost of two years ago, noting at the same time that this condition corresponds to the current circumstances generated by the pandemic but also with the signals of prudence and rationality of public spending outlined by President Luis Abinader.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony was writer and diplomat Andrés L. Mateo, who assured that the Dominican Republic is in fashion in France, where he highlighted the interest in visiting the Caribbean’s main tourist destination.
“The Dominican Republic is in fashion in France and there is a special interest in visiting our country. In various French television programs, prizes are raffled that include trips to enjoy our tourist attractions,” said the diplomat and prominent intellectual.
The Dominican delegation present in Top Resa is also integrated by the vice ministers Jacqueline Mora, Tammy Reynoso and Patricia Mejía, the directors of the MITUR Cabinet, Carmenchu Dominguez and of International Promotion, Britt De Moya.
Representing the private tourism sector were the vice-president of Banco Popular Dominicano, Juan Martin De Oliva; the general manager of La Romana Airport, Luis Rodríguez Amiama; the senior vice-president of the Puntacana Group, Francesca Rainieri.
Also present were hotel executives Ramón Tejeda, from Coral Hospitality Corp; Carla Sanjuan, from Amhsa Marina; Meicy Diaz de Garrido, from HODELPA and Guilliana Carniel, from Viva Wyndham Resort, among others.
