PAHO Praises Dominican Experience in Health and Tourism

The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) highlighted the Dominican Republic’s National Health and Tourism Commission (CONSATUR in Spanish) as a “unique model” of its kind in America and the Caribbean at the Central American Tourism Sustainability Forum held in San Jose, Costa Rica.

“The Central American Forum represented an opportunity for the Dominican Republic to actively participate in the training programs…”

The affirmation was made by Luis Simó, Deputy Minister of Tourism for International Affairs who represented Dominican Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García at the event which was organized by the Ministry of Central American Tourism Integration, the Spain Fund/SITCA, the Central American Tourism Council and the Costa Rican Institute for Tourism. The forum was held last week in the Costa Rican capital, according to the Press and Communication Office of SECTUR.

“The Central American Forum represented an opportunity for the Dominican Republic to actively participate in the training programs and tourism development projects that are supported by the Spain Fund/SITCA” he said.

Simó explained that the objective of the event was to identify and prioritize the criteria for sustainable tourism in the Central American region, to promote the Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics and to delineate activities carried out by the Central American Tourism Council.

Presentations on various topics included health and tourism, criteria for sustainability, corporate responsibility and ethics in tourism, shared experiences in the management of restaurants, the application of the Code of Conduct governing the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in Central America, Climate Change and Tourism, among others.

Simó spoke, at the behest of PAHO, about “Sustainable Development toward a Preventative Strategy in Health and Tourism.” His speech highlighted the results of work done by the National Health and Tourism Commission of the Dominican Republic.

The goal of the National Health and Tourism Commission (CONSATUR), is to promote and implement the development of the National Plan for Health and Tourism and to carry out programs that guarantee comprehensive health care for the people and sectors involved in tourism activities, decreed by President Leonel Fernández in January 2005.

Luis Simó, at the main table during the forum.