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Event reaffirms strategic support for national tourism
Madrid, Spain – Banco Popular Dominicano internationally presented the Casa del Cordón Taíno Cultural Center, during the celebration of the traditional gala dinner that the financial organization offers in the emblematic Crystal Gallery of the Cibeles Palace, in Madrid, in honor of hoteliers , investors and the official delegation of the Dominican Republic participating in the 45th edition of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) 2025.
The evening served as a setting to highlight the achievements of Dominican tourism, which in 2024 received more than 11 million visitors, and to reaffirm the firm commitment of Banco Popular to this sector, as its main historical financier for more than three decades.
In his words, the executive president of Banco Popular, Mr. Christopher Paniagua, highlighted the strategic importance of tourism for the nation, since it is an engine that impacts multiple sectors of the economy and is key to the economic, social and environmental development of the country. country.
“With renewed spirits and without a doubt, at Banco Popular Dominicano we look to the future with optimism, committed to continuing to be the undisputed ally of Dominican tourism,” said Mr. Paniagua.
Meanwhile, he guaranteed that the banking entity “will continue to facilitate accessible and competitive financing, providing specialized advice to maximize the potential of hotel companies, strengthening strategic alliances to promote the collective development of tourism, and supporting projects that integrate sustainable practices, thus promoting preservation of natural and cultural resources.”
For his part, the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, thanked Banco Popular for its support of Dominican tourism, “for always being present in tourism development and facilitating investments in new complexes in the Dominican Republic.”
Minister Collado also stressed that the success of Dominican tourism is due to an unprecedented public-private alliance and a President of the Republic who firmly believes in the development of tourism.
A night of Dominican culture and tradition
Under the majestic dome of the Crystal Gallery of the Cibeles Palace, the Popular welcomed more than 500 guests, whom it received with a 3D video mapping of the Casa del Cordón Taíno Cultural Center, a space located in what is considered the first building European stone from the New World, erected in 1503, and which Popular launched last year as part of its 60th anniversary. The audiovisual tells a journey that intertwines time and memory to form the current Dominican identity.
During the gala dinner, attendees learned details of this cultural space, which expands the museum offering of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, a World Heritage Site. Its walls today house more than 350 archaeological pieces from the first inhabitants of the island, donated by the García Arévalo Foundation.
Cultural and heritage diversity
The event highlighted the tourist quality and the cultural and heritage diversity of the Dominican Republic, an asset that constitutes a differential for the country compared to other Caribbean destinations.
As a special gesture to reaffirm the importance of cultural tourism in the Dominican tourism model, the executive president of Banco Popular, Mr. Christopher Paniagua, and the president of the García Arévalo Foundation, Mr. Manuel García Arévalo, delivered Taíno handcrafted replicas to Messrs. David Collado , Minister of Tourism; Juan Bolívar Díaz, Dominican ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and Anabel Bueno, Dominican ambassador to the UN Tourism.
The night was enlivened with an artistic presentation that united the talents of the Dominican singers Nairoby Duarte and La Marimba. Their voices delighted the audience with a captivating selection of salves, palos and merengues, genres that represent the rich Dominican folk heritage, and were accompanied by the percussion of David Almengod, whose rhythms celebrated the authenticity of the national identity.
Guests of honor and industry leaders
In addition to the guests of honor, among the attendees were the presidents and top executives of prominent hotel chains, as well as businessmen linked to tourism in the Dominican Republic. Among them, Mr. Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, president of Meliá Hotels International, attended; Miguel Fluxà, president of the Iberostar group, Sabina Fluxà, vice president and CEO of the Iberostar Group; Adriana Cisneros, executive president of Grupo Cisneros; Encarna Piñero, executive president of the Piñero Group; Frank Rainieri, president of the Board of Grupo Puntacana and president of the Grupo Puntacana Foundation, among others.
From Banco Popular, executives such as Messrs. René Grullón Finet, senior executive vice president of National and International Business, participated; Antonia Antón de Hernández, senior executive vice president of Human Management, Cultural Transformation, Credit Administration and Compliance; José Mármol, executive vice president of Corporate Communications, Reputation and Responsible Banking; Juan Manuel Martín de Oliva, vice president of Tourism Business; José Hernández Caamaño, vice president of Engineering and Maintenance; Mariel Bera, vice president of Corporate Affairs and Responsible Banking; Karina Vallejo, senior manager of Tourism Business; Dinorah Grullón, manager of the Projects Division and Beatriz Sousa, manager of Tourism Businesses. On behalf of the Popular Group, Messrs. Eduardo Grullón, president of AFP Popular; and José Cuervo, vice president of Stock Market Subsidiaries.