Tourism Minister David Collado, was officially recognized by the UN Tourism (World Tourism Organization) as the “Minister of the Americas” on 16 October 2025, an honor that solidifies the country’s leading role in the global tourism industry despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. The distinction comes as the Dominican Republic takes on the presidency of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Americas.
In accepting the prestigious award, Minister Collado attributed the merit to a country that “decided to set aside political, personal, and partisan interests” in favor of the national interest. He recounted that, prior to taking office in August 2020, he immediately reached out to the sector’s veteran leaders to coordinate a unified strategy to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and safely reopen the industry.
“I had no choice but to call the veterans and ask: what do we do? Not letting the ego of the officials get in the way, because I believe that, next to a public-private alliance, the main foundation of the success of Dominican tourism was that I never thought I would know more about tourism than Frank Rainieri, than Gabriel Escarrer, than Sabina Fluxá or Encarna Piñero, who didn’t even know me,” Collado stated.
The coordinated strategy required transparency, including “opening the books” to tourism entrepreneurs when they inquired about the money allocated for international promotion. Collado noted that, since then, all tourism decisions are made by consensus, and the funds invested in promotion over four years were equal to what had previously been spent in a single year.
The relaunching of Dominican tourism was built on the strategic use of data to understand visitor preferences—where they arrive from, when they travel, and who they travel with—to better tailor the national offering and communication efforts.
This information allowed the ministry to focus promotion on the American continent, with a strong emphasis on South America. This move successfully boosted air connectivity and tourist arrivals, offsetting a reduction in travel from Europe, traditionally the country’s second-largest source market.
The Minister also highlighted the government’s pro-business vision, affirming, “This is a pro-entrepreneurship, pro-private sector country; a country that has decided to move forward together. That is why this recognition is not mine.”
The award was presented by Natalia Bayona, Executive Director of UN Tourism, and Gustavo Santos, Director for the Americas. They commended the country’s pioneering measures for rapid post-pandemic recovery and its constant international promotion.
Significant regional achievements driven by the Dominican Republic under Collado’s presidency of the Regional Commission for the Americas include:
• Leading the development of a regional sustainable tourism strategy, which was presented in Cuba in April 2024.
• The first-ever UN Tourism Summit for Africa and the Americas, fostering cooperation between the two continents.
• Creating a tourism investment guide for the Dominican Republic, a successful model that has since been replicated in 15 other destinations.
• Early recovery actions like implementing a tourist insurance policy, offering free vaccines, and staggered hotel reopenings after the pandemic.
These efforts have positioned the Caribbean nation as a major force not just in the Caribbean, but across the entire hemisphere.
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21 October 2025