Guatemala’s ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Javier Zepeda, announced that direct commercial and cargo flights will soon be established between the two countries to promote investment, trade and tourism.
“Guatemala, for Dominicans, is a destination of many opportunities”, he guaranteed.
He informed that the connection will be made through the Dominican airline Arajet, an ultra low cost airline, following the open skies agreement signed between the two States.
“You have the beauties of the Caribbean beaches and we complement with you all the archaeological part,” he added.
The diplomat said that the inauguration of the air route is scheduled for next August and with a frequency of twice a week, according to Diario Libre.
One advantage highlighted by Zepeda is that neither Dominicans nor Guatemalans require a visa to travel between the countries. However, Dominicans must demonstrate economic solvency to enter Guatemala and evidence of the hotel reservation or proof of where they will be staying.
Regarding the trade balance between the DR and Guatemala, the ambassador explained that it is around 200 million dollars, 80% in favor of the Central American country. He said that Guatemala buys a lot of food, beverages, textiles and pharmaceuticals.
“Guatemala is a good market for products that can be produced here in the Dominican Republic. At the end of the day, I see Guatemala and the DR as countries that complement each other, not compete,” he said.
Zepeda also indicated that, although there are Dominican investments in Guatemala, the strongest weight comes from the Central American country with businesses in mills, sugar mills, electricity, paints, warehouses, among other sectors.
He also expressed his gratitude for the donation of vaccines to combat the coronavirus disease made by the Dominican Republic to Guatemala. The Caribbean country delivered 304,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
