The Dominican Republic has won the first prize for most popular stand at the 9th BITE-Expo Beijing Travel Fair 2012. The event took place in Beijing from 15-17 June. The stand was organized by Giselle Diaz and Evelyn Paiewonsky, heads of public relations and e-marketing at the Ministry of Tourism. Travel businesses interested in attracting the Chinese travelers attend the fair, which has become one of the leading Asian travel events with the increasing number of Chinese tourists who are vacationing abroad. This year, the Dominican Republic was the only Caribbean country represented. The fair jury commended the stand for its cultural attractiveness and arts and crafts on exhibit. A playful Diablo Cojuelo (carnival ‘horned devil’) entertained visitors during the three-day event. Evelyn Paiewonsky stressed the potential of developing this emerging market, despite the long flight from China and the connections that would need to be made. Representatives of the Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana, Blue Travel Partner and Turmaya accompanied the Ministry of Tourism delegation this year, the first time the DR has attended the event.
The Ministry of Tourism says that China has a population of 1.3 billion. In 2011, more than 70 million Chinese citizens traveled abroad, according to statistics from the China National Tourism Administration. The World Tourism Organization estimates that the number of Chinese travelers will have increased to 100 million by 2015.