Dominican Cuisine Could Attract More Visitors to the Country

Santo Domingo, June 21, 2018 – Chef Leandro Díaz recently revealed that if Dominican hotels added a greater variety of local cuisine to the menus offered to tourists in the “all inclusive” packages, it would improve the quality of service, strengthen national production, and increase the reasons why people would want to travel to the country.

Diaz, also known as the Dominican “Country Brand Chef,” made his recommendations during the conference on “Dominican Gastronomy as a Tool to Strengthen Tourism” sponsored by the Superior Community Technical Institute.

Diaz highlighted that although the Dominican Republic currently is the Caribbean’s number one destination, it is important to continue introducing strategies that will help strengthen the industry.  The best way, he added, is by trying to present tour culture through our most original and authentic dishes.

He also explained that hotels can attract more tourists by reproducing the cultural experiences of local neighborhoods, such as the neighborhood grocery store – known locally as the colmadones – as well as street vendors and peddlers, just to mention some of the activities that represent the friendly character of Dominicans.

The seminar Gastronomy and Culture was organized by Gloria Valdés, the Institute’s tourism coordinator.  Participants included hundreds of students and professionals from various universities.  All enjoyed the remarks delivered by the invited chefs, historians and tourism experts who discussed how gastronomy could stengthen the local tourism industry. Some experts discussed the history behind Dominican gastronomy and its cultural value as well as the Dominican gastronomic route, among other issues.

The seminar is part of the UNESCO program that works to highlight and promote gastronomy as an intangible cultural heritage of the people, and encourages the industry to take advantage of gastronomic tourism.

Participants also included historian Samuel Bisonó, chef Diana Munné – president of Adochefs – chef Martin Omar (Restaurante Dos Mundos), Milka Hernández, director of national tourism production from the Ministry of Tourism, and Bolívar Troncoso and Juan Febles from the foundation “Sabores Dominicanos.”