Puerto Plata walked off with the grand award and the hotelier of the year award during last week?s Annual Tourism Award ceremony. The president of the Playa Dorada Association in Puerto Plata, and chief executive officer of Occidental Hotels in the Dominican Republic, Ventura Serra was awarded the Grand Tourism Prize during last week?s Annual Tourism Awards event. Maria Jose Berbel, general manager of the Iberostar Costa Dorada in Puerto Plata, was named hotelier of the year. The Ministry of Tourism organizes the event every year, and tourism associations contribute to the election of the most outstanding in each field during the previous year.
Winners this year were:
Grand Tourism Prize 2004: Ventura Serra
Tour operator of 2004: Luis J. Vidal
Receptive tour operator of 2004: Andres Fernandez
Travel agent 2004: Maria Viera
Customs inspector 2004: Juan Polanco
Migration inspector 2004: Daysi Milagros Urelio
Tourism Policeman 2004: Navy Captain Samuel Jimenez
Tour guide 2004: Carolina Medina
Hotelier 2004: Maria Jose Berbel
Restauranteurs 2004: Ricardo and Eduardo Brea
Chef of 2004: Oscar Orbe
Bartender 2004: Hugo Martin Acosta
Travel writer 2004: Arelis Pena Brito
Transported most pax to Las Americas, Cibao, Puerto Plata airports: American Airlines
Transported most pax to Casa de Campo: Corsair
Transported most pax to Punta Cana: USA 3000