President Luis Abinader attended the Miami Travel Roadshow on 30 January 2023 to promote travel to the Dominican Republic. He spoke of how the Dominican Republic had promptly recovered its tourism industry after Covid-19 and of the new developments at the leading destinations.
He described the new development at Punta Bergantín, a beach and film site, going up next door to Playa Dorada in Puerto Plata. He announced the country’s first star memorabilia-styled Planet Hollywood hotel would open at the site. Planet Hollywood Hotels & Resorts has been nominated for Travel and Leisure’s 2023 World’s Best Awards. There are others in Cancun, Mexico and Costa Rica in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Punta Bergantin, is the newest development in Puerto Plata, where resort tourism in the Dominican Republic got its start. Punta Bergantin is promoted by movie actor Vin Diesel, as a Silicon Coast, destination with academia, and a Planet Hollywood resort.
During his presentation, President Abinader reviewed the steps the Dominican Republic took for a fast recovery of the tourism industry in the aftermath of Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021. He thanked the travel vendors for their trust in sending the tourists.
The President told his audience that he had studied economics and had done his thesis on the development of tourism and its impact on the Dominican economy. “I believe in tourism and I believe in the impact of tourism on the country and the people who work in the industry,” he told his listeners.
He spoke of the launching of the Pedernales beach destination with its exceptional shallow beaches, where low density tourism is contemplated in a province where 60% of the land is located in national parks. He announced the start of construction of the Pedernales cruise ship port and the first hotels this year He also spoke of the expansion of the Amber Cove and Taino Bay cruise ship facilities in Puerto Plata given the successes of the ports in attracting cruise lines.
During his presentation, he highlighted that the government in 2020 understood that tourism is vital to the economy, and its recovery was key. He spoke of the success of the free travel insurance foreign tourists booking hotel packages were offered to encourage them to risk catching Covid-19 when traveling to the country. At the same time, the government made mass purchases of vaccines, giving priority to vaccinate hotel staff, and was the first to make available the third booster vaccine. He said that only 0.3% of those who traveled during the crucial Covid-19 impacting months used the insurance. The World Tourism Organization would name the Dominican Republic the country to recover its tourism industry best.
President Abinader also spoke of improvements to the La Isabela historical site in Puerto Plata, new developments in Punta Cana, and in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo.
“We are here to tell you that you are very important for us, you are our partners, and that the best times for tourism are ahead, the best times for the DR are coming. Thank you for believing in us, the Dominican Republic is waiting with open arms and smiles to receive you!,” said the President.
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7 February 2023