The importance of public-private alliances as a catalyst that facilitates the incorporation of the Orange Economy and Creative Industries was a fundamental axis in the panels and exhibitions during the third edition of the Caribbean Orange Forum, an activity organized by Switch Havas and SIP Group, where national and international experts presented success stories in which it is evident how this articulation between the public and the private affects the creation of more responsible and committed cultural tourist destinations from the perspective of sustainability.
The information provided details that during the panel “Economic Development through Sustainable Tourism”, Sigmund Freund, executive director of the General Directorate of Public-Private Partnerships, emphasized that the projects that the Dominican State supports under this modality must generate positive social impact and respond with a series of methodologies that ensure compliance and the generation of direct benefits for society, communities, and the environment.
The official cited the case of the Cabo Rojo project being built in Pedernales, as the first around which a study of the tourist load was carried out to determine the number of people who can be on the Bahía de las Águilas beach at the same time, a solid waste management plan that will come into effect from the start of operations of the first hotel, as well as a survey of all the flora in the area that has been transplanted in nurseries to later be used in the ornamentation and landscaping of the infrastructures that are built there.
Isabel Piñero CSO Chief Sustainability Officer of Grupo Piñero, a Spanish company with 50 years in the tourism sector, emphasized that sustainability constitutes a transversal axis in the management of its businesses based on social, environmental and governance criteria, aligned with the Objectives of Sustainable Development and respect for human rights.
He highlighted that within this line of work is the incorporation of culture, artisans, and local producers who belong to the communities where their hotels operate. “Cayo Levantado Resort is an example of this because its design incorporates the work of local architects and artisans and within its complementary offer the inclusion of art and direct contact with community experiences.”
While in the conversation “Líder Cultural and Sustainable Tourism,” Jake Kheel, director of the Grupo Puntacana Foundation, emphasized that sustainability in business seeks to create a balance between communities, the environment, and economic resources by generating behavioral changes in people.
Kheel stated that the challenges created by sustainability are responded to with creative proposals that must be presented from different destinations and in this way influence in which the visitor respects and protects the community he visits, celebrating local culture, gastronomy