In 50 years, no hotel employee has assaulted a tourist in the Dominican Republic
In the 50-year span of the Dominican Republic tourism industry, there has never been a case where a hotel employee has assaulted or battered a tourist, affirmed the Minister of Tourism Francisco Javier Garcia.
The official spoke in a press conference on June 7th along with Paola Rainieri, president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism, Paola Rainieri, following up with an incident in which an American tourists claims that she was “trapped in one of the corridors, mouth covered, entered into a room, and battered by someone that looked like a hotel employee”.
They also talked about the yet unsolved incidents in which three U.S. citizens died while vacationing in the country.
Below, the public statement by these authorities, read by the Minister of Tourism.
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Given the legitimate concern of the media in our country and in the United States of America, because of the unfortunate events involving three U.S. nationals, we make the following points:
First: We reiterate our regret for the unfortunate deaths of three American citizens in hotels of the country and we join the pain that seizes his family.
Second: We follow closely the investigations that must reveal the causes of death of these three people, and just like it was said by the ambassador of the United States of America in the Dominican Republic, Robin S. Bernstein, those facts are truly regrettable and isolated.
Third: The Dominican Republic is the safest tourist destination in the region and one of the favorites of Americans.
The fact that the Dominican Republic has been visited by 30 million tourists in the last five years shows the preference of tourists and the safety of the destination.
We emphasize that these episodes are completely isolated and regrettable.
We must make it clear that in more than 50 years of operation of the tourism industry in the Dominican Republic, no visitor has been assaulted by an employee of the hotel, so we await the results of the investigations that have to do with the complaint made by an American citizen who was staying in a Dominican hotel.
Be assured that the competent authorities are working hard to clarify these facts and once the final results of the investigations are obtained, they will be duly informed to the whole society.
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The official urged to “let the specialists carry out the investigations of place” on the deaths that occurred in recent weeks, which, he said, the Ministry and the Bahia Principe hotel chain are closely following.
He added that the country has been recognized by the World Tourism Organization as a model for its good practices in tourism and that the Ministry has held events on tourism security since the Dominican Republic is considered a reference in that regard.
Rainieri said that the hotels are facing the situation and that they are interested in being part of the solution to any problem that may or may not occur.