New Tourism Promotion Offices to be Opened in Europe and United States

The Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) announced the opening of new Tourism Promotion Offices (OPT) of the Dominican Republic; three offices will be opened in Europe and six in the United States. These new offices form part of a strategy to open new market niches and maintain the dynamic movement in the Dominican tourism sector.

The Tourism Minister made the announcement at an official Dominican press conference at the ITB 2009 underway in Berlin. Speaking to some 150 national and international journalists…

Francisco Javier García Fernández, Minister of Tourism, said SECTUR will initiate new promotion campaigns in different countries to elevate the DR’s position in these markets.

In Europe, he said, the new OPT offices will be opened in Moscow, Stockholm and Prague with the idea of attracting tourists who like to take their vacations in distant destinations.

In two weeks, he said, the ministry will announce where the six new US offices will be located, adding that these offices will cater to people who like to take their vacations in destinations that are closer to home.

The Tourism Minister made the announcement at an official Dominican press conference at the ITB 2009 underway in Berlin. Speaking to some 150 national and international journalists, he was accompanied by the Dominican Ambassador to Germany, Pedro Vergés; Haydee Kuret de Rainieri, President of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants (ASONAHORES); Petra Cruz, OPT Director for Germany and Supervisor of Promotion in Europe and Uta Idstein, representative of the German public relations company.

Mr. García Fernández said he will make a proposal to President Leonel Fernández to designate a tourism attaché in the embassies of those countries where there are no tourism promotion offices so that they can work to encourage tourism to the Dominican Republic.

He said this would be a way of encouraging tourism on an international level with the close collaboration of these diplomatic delegations from the DR.

He suggested that the government and private sector work together in coordination and form an alliance to improve the country’s position in tourism thus helping to increase Dominican tourism in the countries where there has been little activity.

Santo Domingo, American Capital of Culture

As such, García Fernández announced that the International Bureau of Cultural Capitals has awarded the city of Santo Domingo the honor of being the “American Capital of Culture for 2010.” To celebrate this honor, the Ministries of Tourism and Culture will organize a series of activities to be developed in coordination with the local government of the National District of Santo Domingo.

As it happens, next year the “European Capital of Culture for 2010” will be the Cuenca de Ruhr (Ruhr River Basin), which is currently the host region of this year’s ITB Berlin 2009. More than 180 countries have participated in this year’s ITB event, which was hosted by the Dominican Republic last year, 2008.

“The city of Santo Domingo will be organizing a varied and attractive calendar of cultural events, projects and activities that will flood the city’s plazas, metros, busses, streets, museums, art galleries, music centers, hotels, theaters and other spaces around the city,” said the Minister.

He noted that the distinction of being chosen the “American Capital of Culture for 2010,” puts the Dominican Republic among the main cultural places in the region which will further consolidate the country as a tourism destination.

Positive Results

On another topic, García Fernández said that despite the global economic crisis, the Dominican Republic will exceed its foreign tourism arrival numbers this year with “flying colors.” He also said the tourism investment projects will be higher than last year.

“We have to create a global consciousness in order to avoid a crisis in tourism. Tourism is not in crisis,” he stated.

Dominican Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García at the official DR press conference in Berlin accompanied by Petra Cruz, OPT Director in Germany; Dominican Ambassador in Germany, Pedro Vergés; and the President of ASONAHORES, Haydee Kuret de Rainieri.