Flight bookings to the Dominican Republic increase by 153 percent
The Minister of Tourism, David Collado, said that flight bookings to the Dominican Republic have increased by 153% in comparison to 2018, one of the best years for the industry, which shows the progress of the recovery of tourism.
Expedia, the online travel agency, informed that reservations to the Dominican Republic are 153% higher than in 2018, he said. May is already showing a 9% increased when compared to April.
Collado stated his remarks during the official IFEMA country partner signing ceremony at FITUR 2021, in Spain.
“What we are doing is a strategy that in the year, where the recovery is supposed to be much stronger, which is 2022, in the high season of the Dominican Republic, we will be present at the most important fair in the world for the tourism and for the entire region that we represent”, said Minister Collado during the ceremony.
The official reported that it was also agreed to carry out an event in the Dominican Republic with the participation of representatives of IFEMA and FITUR in the Caribbean country in October, together with the Popular and Banreservas banks, while in November a delegation will travel to Madrid to continue promoting this important initiative.
The FITUR 2022 partner agreement was assumed together with the representatives of the Popular Dominican banks and Banreservas and the Ministry of Tourism, he indicated when expressing satisfaction at being in the company of the private sector and the executives of these banks. FITUR 2022 will be held on January 19th in Madrid.
Collado described the signing with IFEMA as an unprecedented event that sends a signal from the Dominican Government and the Tourism Cabinet that they firmly believe in the recovery of normality.
Agreement with IFEMA
At the signing of the agreement with IFEMA, at the fairgrounds, José Vicente de Los Mozos, IFEMA executive president, said that it is a source of pride and luck that the Dominican Republic will be together with IFEMA next year, “on board as a partner of FITUR 2022 “.
De Los Mozos affirmed that this is an important issue because one of the axes is Latin America and the Dominican Republic can be a very important partner in Madrid.
The president of IFEMA revealed that the current fair is proving a success not only in the face-to-face part because this Wednesday there were more than 25,000 people connected on the FITUR LIVEConnect platform and they were working, which being the first digital meeting in Europe, “they begin to be a reference ”.
Likewise, he expressed the pride of IFEMA Madrid to help Spain and the rest of the world as a lever to get out of this pandemic.
The signing ceremony was attended by Eduardo López Puertas, executive director of IFEMA; Christopher Paniagua, executive president of the Banco Popular Dominicano; Samuel Pereyra, general administrator of the Reserve Bank; Aníbal de Castro, ambassador representing the country to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and Rafael Blanco, president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores).
Pereyra supports the agreement
The Reserve Bank announced its support for the collaboration agreement signed this Thursday between IFEMA and the Ministry of Tourism to support and promote the edition of the International Tourism Fair (Fitur 2022), dedicated to the Dominican Republic.
The general administrator of Banreservas, Samuel Pereyra, expressed his optimism and willingness to contribute to raising the country’s name once again, with this important event in which the Dominican Republic will participate next year as a guest partner country.
“We are committed to working together with government institutions and the private sector in charge of developing a program that highlights our tourism potential to attract investment and at the same time as a final destination for foreign visitors”, he said.
Pereyra when commenting on the signing of the agreement with IFEMA. The Dominican Republic will be a partner of FITUR 2022 to be held on January 19, for which it will have the support of the private sector, through Banreservas, Banco Popular, and MITUR.
The agreement was signed by David Collado, Minister of Tourism; José Vicente de los Mozos, president of IFEMA; and Eduardo López-Puertas, general director of the Spanish entity.