Annual Meeting of Tourism Promotion Offices

Overwhelming enthusiasm topped by the embracing of strategies and shared goals ruled at the annual meeting of the Tourism Promotion Offices (OPT) over which Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García presided. OPT representatives from around the world attended the meeting.

Some of the priorities included significantly increasing advertising budgets, projecting a unified image and strategies to attract new market

Some of the priorities included significantly increasing advertising budgets, projecting a unified image and strategies to attract new market niches were some of the main suggestions laid out by the 19 office directors of the OPT which represents and serves to familiarize people with our country as a destination in North America, Europe, Asia and South America.

These suggestions were made as the meeting got underway just as Minister Francisco Javier García announced the creation of a Strategic Center for Tourism Development and reiterated two equally important initiatives to consolidate tourism growth in 2009: an increase from $22 million to $44 million dollars advertising revenue and the opening of ten new OPT offices, nine of them in the United States.

García also indicated the his ministry intends to continue and deepen Tourism Ministry (SECTUR) agreements with tour operators who have facilitated a healthy flow of foreign tourists and investments to the Dominican Republic.

He reminded his listeners that his six trips abroad have convinced him of the important role played by the OPTs in the growth of tourism, stressing that their work takes on enormous importance especially in the context of the current global economic crisis.

The minister used golf as an example. Golf is one of the market segments that our country can promote even more than it has by taking advantage of the DR’s enviable infrastructure of golf courses. Indeed the DR was chosen by Reader’s Choice as the best Caribbean destination for lovers of this lucrative sport.

Advertising, A 100% Profitable Investment

Isabel Vásquez, Director of Promotion for SECTUR, explained that the increase in advertising revenues will have a decisive impact on results for 2009.

“It will definitely be noticed especially when you have competitors in the market such as Mexico, the Bahamas and Jamaica, which are countries with huge advertising investments as well as huge offices in the main US cities,” said Ms. Vásquez.

She went on to point out that there are important niches the DR has not managed to massively penetrate, like the 45 million Hispanic residents in the United States who need “a unified plan of action and a strategy” geared toward them and their characteristics.

Speaking about the most effective methods to confront these goals, Vásquez mentioned Spanish-language television, ads on the New York subways and magazines specializing in golfers and incentive programs.

In terms of the new OPT offices, she said “basically we need them in the Western part of the United States and definitely Los Angeles, Washington, Atlanta, Boston and probably Orlando which are the places we‘ve already identified,” due to the population size and other factors.

She stressed the vital importance of approving the budgets needed to open the OPT offices and to get them started on developing their strategies in the market, such as participation in international and regional fairs, training seminars and other activities with tour operators and agencies.

She stressed the vital importance of approving the budgets needed to open the OPT offices and to get them started on developing their strategies in the market

The annual OPT meeting, held last Friday in the Hilton Hotel, featured interesting presentations corresponding to each market sector. Miami Office Director and US Supervisor Wendy Justo was in charge of the meeting. Also attending was Cosette García of Puerto Rico, Susana Rosa of Canada, Miguelina Ruiz from Latin America, Taty Font Bernard from Argentina, Andrea Majela from Brasil, Carmen Rodríguez, Chile and René Contreras from Colombia.

Two important reports were presented about the cruise ship market and the cultural activities of SECTUR. Both were given by Magali Toribio, Deputy Tourism Minister for the South Central Region. Deputy Minister of Culture, Taty Olmos, gave a presentation about the new Promotion, Investment and Development Department under the authority of its chief Manuel Pacheco.

Other SECTUR officials present at the event included Ramón Cruz Diloné, Administrative Under Secretary; Giselle Díaz, Director of Promotion; Rossanna Figueroa, Director of Press and Communications; Montserrat Despradel, Director of Congresses and Incentives; Martha González, Director of Marketing and Carlos Daniel Rubio, Advertising Director.

Tati Olmos, Francisco Javier García, Mercedes Tejada and Magaly Toribio.

Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García and the Tourism Promotion Offices Directors