Pedernales, DR.- In an event attended by government figures, representatives of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Dominican Institute for Integral Development (IDDI), the international NGO CESAL, and prominent members of the tourism sector in the Enriquillo region, the official presentation of the first Pedernales Ecotourism Guide was held.
The first Pedernales Ecotourism Guide is the result of the “Diagnostic and characterization study of the province of Pedernales as a tourist destination, highlighting its main local, gastronomic, cultural, and natural attractions”, which focused on the potential for integration of community tourism, providing a detailed analysis and presentation of the main tourist attractions of the province.
The study was carried out within the framework of the project “Promotion of a public-private alliance to strengthen the sustainable tourism chain in Pedernales”, executed by CESAL, together with the IDDI as a local partner and financed by the AECID, which has as the objective to contribute to the sustainable development of Pedernales based on its local, natural and cultural heritage, through the revitalization of the local economy linked to sustainable tourism development.
This intervention will continue until 2025, thanks to the approval of a second phase by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), represented at the event by Manuel Alba, general coordinator of the Spanish Cooperation Office (OCE) in the country.
The opening speech of the event was given by the governor of the province of Pedernales, Altagracia Brea, who highlighted the tourism boom in the region and its impact on the local economy.
A booming tourist territory
Since 2020, this territory has entered the priority development zones for the Dominican government based on the Cabo Rojo-Pedernales project, which has been designed under a sustainable tourism scheme in an area of 44,000,000 m2, where a hotel zone is located, an airport, cruise port and the necessary infrastructure is being developed to meet the needs of local basic services.
“The arrival of CESAL to Pedernales in 2021, with projects financed by the AECID and the European Union, to support the province in facilitating access to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities linked to the value chain of sustainable community tourism, has been a driving force in the construction of this new ecotourism destination, which will promote the improvement of living conditions in the territory and the entire Enriquillo region,” said Eugenia Fernández, territorial coordinator of the Enriquillo region of CESAL.
David Luther, executive director of the IDDI, highlighted that since 2015 the IDDI has been involved in various initiatives in the province of Pedernales. These actions have contributed enormously to the sustainable development of the region, promoting the consolidation of Pedernales as an attractive tourist destination both nationally and internationally.
These are two of the main motivations for the Spanish Cooperation Agency in the Dominican Republic to contribute with cooperation projects, but also with technical assistance and training, to collaborate with the sustainable development of the area, stated Manuel Alba.
During the event, David Luther, executive director of IDDI, thanked AECID and CESAL for their support and highlighted the collaborative effort found in the province during the development of the project.
At the launch event of the valuable information tool, held at the provincial government, a promotional campaign was presented to accompany the dissemination of the material in different media.
General information of the Pedernales Ecotourism Guide
The design of the guide, available in physical and digital format, in both Spanish and English, presents the reader with a reserved destination in the middle of nature, with ancestral flavors, where seafood takes center stage, noticeable in any season of the year, both day and night an invitation to immerse yourself in a haven of peace.
Public institutions, public institutions such as the Ministry of Tourism, the General Directorate of Public Private Partnerships (DGAPP), the Reserve Bank, the Haina Electricity Generating Company (EGEHAINA), as well as the companies ITM Group (Cape Red Port) were some of the companies sponsoring the guide.
Offered free of charge and easily accessible via a QR code in key establishments and locations in the area, the guide can be downloaded through the Instagram account of the Pedernales Tourism Cluster, as well as on the Sarma Group website.