The Romana-Bayahibe Hotel Association (RBHA) opened a high school and vocational center last week in the village of Bayahibe. The regional hoteliers received a US$100,000 contribution from the Tour Operators Initiative (TOI) and the Swiss Hotelplan company to carry out the project that overlooks the Bayahibe hotel and boating areas. The initiative sets an example for responsible corporate citizen cooperation between tour operators and the Dominican tourism industry.
The Ministry of Education has signed an agreement for continued support to the Technical Training Center of Bayahibe (Centro Formacion Tecnica de Bayahibe). The National Institute for Professional and Technical Training (INFOTEP) will be providing the technical courses at the schools. During the opening ceremony, Simon Suarez, president of RBHA highlighted the importance of the school that will bring technical training close to the local communities, whose members used to have to travel long distances. Students living in Bayahibe, Benerito, Villa Padre Nuestro and Mano Juan, plus hotel staff, previously had to travel to La Romana, about half an hour away for similar training.
Suarez highlighted that the school also seeks to encourage young people to set up micro-businesses aimed at the tourist market, as a way of contributing to the destination’s competitiveness.
At the school’s inauguration ceremony, Suarez also said that the region has been successful because of the hotel sector’s commitment to its vision of incorporating the attractions in the Park of the East protected area with a sustainable tourism model.
At present, the Romana and Bayahibe Association is carrying out an Inter-American Development Bank project for sustainable tourism management in the Bayahibe area that seeks to integrate the community, with a focus on culture and the environment.
Members of the association are the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach and Dominicus Palace, Ventaclub Gran Dominicus, Sunscape Casa del Mar, Coral by Hilton Canoa, and Iberostar Hacienda Dominicus.