The best practices of seven community ecotourism initiatives in the country’s northern region were recognized recently by the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur). The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been helping the ventures develop successfully over the years. During the recognition event, Takayuki Kondo of JICA was commended for the Project for the Strengthening of the Sustainable Tourism Development Mechanism that has backed the small ecotourism initiatives under the Sustainable Community Tourism Project (TCS).
Kondo said JICA would continue to support the development of these and similar initiatives. The TCS Project is carried out in the 14 provinces in the Cibao region. It seeks to improve the livelihood of the inhabitants in rural areas.
Mitur organized a special ceremony to deliver the Best Practices awards. The event was attended by representatives of the award-winning ecotourism projects and the leader and coordinator of the TCS Project, Takashi Aoki.
On behalf of Mitur, the awards were presented by the Deputy Technical Minister Jacqueline Mora, Jaime Montilla; the director of the Department of Planning and Projects (DPP), Shaney Peña; the director of Quality of Tourism Services, representing the Deputy Minister of Quality, Roberto Henriquez; Ana Gabriel Miches and Ángel Rosario in place of the Deputy Minister of Tourism Promotion and Development, Tammy Reynoso. Mitur’s Deputy Minister for International Cooperation, Carlos Peguero gave the welcoming remarks.
The Ministry of Tourism announced that given the success of the TCS Project in the northern region, the plan is to implement the project in Pedernales to reach inhabitants of the southwestern provinces where there is similar great ecotourism potential.
The Sustainable Community Tourism Project offers tourists a diversity in gastronomy, culture and adventure. Around 1,600 are integrated as community leaders. More than 4,900 people have been trained in 218 courses since the program began in 2017.
The best practices winners of the seven categories were:
Anfitriones de Monción, in the category “Marketing and Tourism Experience”, for the dissemination through social networks of the “Ruta del Casabe” and other attractions in the province of Santiago Rodríguez.
In the “Quality and Tourism Experience” category, the winner is Jamao Ecotours, a successful adventure tourism proposal managed by young people from the community of the municipality of Jamao al Norte in the province of Espaillat.
The Ecotourism Development Council of Jamao al Norte was also recognized.
In the “Strengthening and Cultural Heritage” category, Experience of Typical Merengue and Dominican Music of Guananico, Puerto Plata, received a plaque of recognition.
In the same northern province, the Saltos de Damajagua Monument was honored in the “Product Improvement” category.
“El Sonido del Yaque” was recognized as the first community ecotourism project in the country. It is located in Jarabacoa municipality.
Gremont, an ecological ecotourism group from the province of Montecristi, was awarded in the category “Service and Institutional Strengthening.”
The community based TCS Project in the Northern Region, with an execution period from 2016-2022, is implemented by the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) working with Infotep, the Ministry of Economy and with the technical support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
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Ministry of Tourism
30 November 2021