The Northern Region Industries Association (AIREN) celebrated its 30th anniversary yesterday, Thursday 26 November 2015, with Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia as the keynote speaker at an event also attended by President Danilo Medina.
During his speech, “The New Dynamics of the Economy,” Garcia spoke of the impact of the new Amber Cove cruise center and port on the northern region. He also predicted that tourism would grow by 10% this year. He said that the projections for the first three years were that around one million cruise ship tourists would visit Puerto Plata, with a positive impact on the economy of Puerto Plata province, the Cibao region and the country as a whole.
Garcia also highlighted the major steps taken by Santiago in developing a buoyant medical tourism industry.
Garcia highlighted that the DR is the leader in tourism in the Caribbean, pointing out that the country was ranked first on a list of 135 nations considered the most attractive destinations in the world.
The minister announced that a new working timetable has been drawn up to work with AIREN to promote agribusiness and improve the sector’s response to the demands of the tourists and cruise passengers visiting the region.
He also announced that the leading tourism group in Samana [Bahia Principe hotel group] would build a new hotel with 1,500 hotel rooms in Las Terrenas.
AIREN president Lina Garcia de Blasco called for strengthened links with agribusiness, production and tourism to produce the items the tourists demand to reduce the need to import them. She said that a strong manufacturing and agricultural sector must complement tourism development in order to supply the markets with high-quality products in sufficient quantities in response to the demands created by millions of visiting tourists.
Con presencia de Danilo Medina, industriales de Santiago celebran 30 aniversario