President Luis Abinader is set to mingle with ministers of tourism from the Americas during the meeting set for Punta Cana 6-9 May 2021. The World Tourism Organization has convened this extraordinary meeting of tourism minister of the Americas. Tourism ministers are here to discuss the recovery of the tourism industry.
The Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) of the Dominican Republic is hosting the event.
Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general of the UNWTO, Tourism Minister David Collado will speak during the event. Also, Frank Rainieri, president of the Puntacana Group.
Mitur says that the visiting ministers are: Miguel Torruco, Minister of Tourism, Mexico; Denise Guillén Zúñiga, Deputy Minister, Panama; Julián Guerrero Orozco, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Colombia; and Matías Lammens, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Argentina.
Melvin Cintron, regional director of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Gonzalo Koncke, chief of staff to the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Ninglan Wan of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) will cover the perspectives of international organizations and the strategic value of tourism. Mauricio J. Claver-Carone, president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will speak on financing investments for sustainable development through tourism.
Peter Cerda, regional vice president – Americas of the International Transport Association (IATA), will give the private sector perspective on
the challenges and opportunities of air connectivity in the Americas.
Frank Rainieri, who is also a WTO ambassador for Sustainable Tourism, will discuss the importance of public-private collaboration. Michael Rossell, vice president of Airports Council International (ACI) will speak on airports as part of the tourism value chain.
Natalia Bayona, director of UNWTO’s Innovation, Education and Investment Department, will present the results and recommendations of the Global Tourism Crisis Committee created by UNWTO to advise on how to manage the pandemic from a tourism perspective.
The meeting of ministers of the Americas includes a debate on the outlook for tourism and the redesign of the sector, and the relevance of the sector in economic policies for the recovery and development of the region, which will be moderated by Natalia Bayona, director of the UNWTO Department of Innovation, Education and Investment.
To close the event, the “Punta Cana Declaration” will be read and approved.
The event is happening when gradually, and despite the pandemic continuing to run strong in many source markets, the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry is recovering. Tourism Minister David Collado forecasts that visitors in March were more than 280,000. Hotel occupancy is at around 40% and more than 80% of the main hotels have reopened.
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El Nuevo Diario
WTO
N Digital
6 May 2021