Santo Domingo, DR. – The Dominican Republic achieved the total recovery of its tourism industry, and in 2023, it achieved the goal of 10 million tourists and visitors, now going, in the 44th edition of the Madrid International Tourism Fair, Fitur 2024, for a is committed to diversification by promoting destinations full of offers for ecological, cultural, sports, gastronomic, medical and adventure tourism.
Fitur 2024 starts tomorrow at 10 in the morning in a special event at the Ecuador stand, which this time is the partner country of the fair, while the Dominican Republic opens its stand at that same time, which throughout the day will have numerous activities for attract the public to the charms of this central Caribbean country.
This Tuesday, the Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic shared details of a meeting with the official team that makes up the Mitur mission in a day to finalize the details for the actions of the five days of the fair.
Para reported that the first Roadshow meeting of the year was scheduled for the evening, to which more than 500 tour operators and travel agencies were invited.
Bet on emerging cultural and adventure tourism destinations
According to the data offered by the Minister of Tourism in the days prior to the event, the emerging destinations of Miches, Pedernales and Punta Bergantín-Puerto Plata will be the Dominican bet on Fitur 2024
And, after the recovery and achievement of the goal of 10 million tourists and visitors in one year, Collado maintains that now it is time to bet on diversity, continue strengthening solid destinations, but promote destinations in cities such as Santiago, Santo Domingo, and other provinces that have ecological, cultural, sports, gastronomic, medical and adventure tourism.
“We are going to Fitur loaded with a lot of emotion and an agenda of more than 25 meetings every 15 minutes,” said the official, announcing that he will sign agreements with airlines, travel agents, and important airlines. such as Condor, Iberia and Air Europa.
“We are strengthening the country's relations so as not to lose another airline as happened with Air France, which left as a result of the cost of fuel from the Dominican Republic,” Collado recently told Listín Diario newspaper.
He stated that the European market represents, in a good year, more than a million tourists in the country, which has a strong impact on foreign currency, on purchases, on payment of taxes, in the Dominican Republic.
Regarding Miches, as an emerging destination, they are preparing a breakfast meeting that they have called “Heading towards a reality”, given that this destination was presented last year at Fitur and a year ago it already shows hotels with five floors of construction and that will be inaugurated before end 2024. The construction of 3,000 new rooms in Miches is also contemplated.
The official also pointed out that they are working in Samaná, where 1,500 rooms are being built, because this destination needs more hotel chains to obtain more flights at its airport, and with this tourism will be boosted.
He added that they will also be launching Punta Bergantín, where a hotel will be built promoted by Frank Elías Rainieri and the support of the Reserve Bank. Likewise, some 500 rooms from the Hyatt hotel chain are contemplated.
“Bergantín will be the spearhead for a relaunch of Puerto Plata as a destination,” said Collado and indicated that to relaunch Puerto Plata new flights are needed and to have new flights hotel rooms are needed.
He added that they are making agreements with airlines, but that what is going to change the image of Puerto Plata is Punta Bergantín, a project that already has the construction of four hotels in the pipeline.
About Pedernales
The Minister of Tourism reported that during Fitur all the opportunities offered by Pedernales, the new coastal destination of the Dominican Republic, will be presented.
He spoke of projecting a vision of sustainable tourism, creating tours and walks, generating the conditions to sell this new international destination to the world.
Program of activities of the Ministry of Tourism for the first day in Fitur
The official space of the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic in Fitur is located this year in Pavilion 3 of the America area at Stand 3B01
At 10 in the morning the official opening of the entire fair is scheduled at the Stand of Ecuador, a partner country of Fitur 2024, and at that time the Ministry of Tourism also has the official opening of its stand scheduled.
After the official opening remarks, the public will have access to several permanent experiences such as the Exhibition of crafts in wood, bone, horn, larimar, amber and natural fibers.
It is also time to open the first sensory gastronomy experience with the “Santiago Rodriguez” Casadip de Guandules tasting.
At 11 in the morning Madrid time, a tasting of coffee, chocolate, liquor and rum opens. This activity is led by El Grano de Caffe, Kahkow Rizek, Mamajuana Spicy and Ron E. Leon Jimenes
At one in the afternoon the public will be able to enjoy another tasting of traditional Dominican drinks. It is morsoñando, a cold Dominican drink made from milk and orange juice.
Once this toast is closed, another tasting opens at two in the afternoon, this time of Dominican rum by Grupo E. León Jimenes. It is followed at 3 pm by a tasting of Creole sweets and paletera.