Spanish Hoteliers Praise the Quality of Dominican Tourism

Presidents of various Spanish hotel chains with investment in the Dominican Republic highlighted the quality of service they have seen from the DR as well as the profound interest on the part of the Dominican government to protect the industry.

Businesspeople recognize the change the DR has undergone in terms of quality of service offered to tourists as well as facilities and the interest and involvement of the government in the tourism sector.

The businesspeople told Dominican Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García, that the quality of the DR as a tourist destination has been increasing in recent years and that the Dominican Republic today has changed unrecognizably from one to three years ago. They went on the say that the DR will continue to be the most important destination in the Caribbean region for investors and tourists from distant markets like Spain as well as the rest of Europe, according to the Office of Press and Communication of the Tourism Ministry (SECTUR).

Businesspeople recognize the change the DR has undergone in terms of quality of service offered to tourists as well as facilities and the interest and involvement of the government in the tourism sector.

The observations made by the presidents of the hotel chains were made at a breakfast with Mr. García Fernández at the Villa Magna Hotel in Madrid, Spain.

In view of the impression expressed by the Spanish executives, García Fernández announced that the Tourism Ministry has finished with the Territorial Organization Plan carried out in the country’s tourism regions explaining that it includes the National Street Signs Plan which will facilitate easier and safer traveling conditions for international visitors as well as generally providing higher levels of safety.

He announced, in addition, the Tourism Ministry’s plan to renew the tourism taxi fleets, which will be comprised of uniformed and regulated taxi drivers and vehicles that will provide service in all tourism areas around the country, adding that they are valuable in terms of safety and efficiency.

García Fernández also announced that the Dominican Tourism Ministry is working on paving the main streets and roads in the tourism areas of the country and will be putting in new sidewalks and community containers in areas around the tourism centers.

The hotel presidents at the meeting were: Jaime Batlle of the Mar Chain and the Batlle Group; Juan José Hidalgo from Globalia; José Espelt from the H10 Hotels; Enric Noguer of Hotetur; Miguel and Gloria Fluxá of Iberostar; Gabriel Felip and Gregorio de Diego of Occidental; Pablo Piñero of the Piñero Group; Abel Matutes of Sirenis Hotels and Grabriel Escarrer (father and son), of Sol Meliá.

Others present included Haydee Kuret de Rainieri, president of the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (ASONAHORES); businessmen Luis López, Manuel Castillo, Abraham Selman and Juan Manuel Martín de Oliva, Vice President of Banco Popular’s Tourism Division.

Accompanying Tourism Minister García Fernández, was his assistant José Gabriel Rodríguez; Radhamés Martínez Aponte, Technical Deputy Minister and Paola Dimitri, Director of the Dominican Tourism Promotion Office (OPT) for Spain and Portugal.

Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García, with businesspeople, SECTUR executives and the Director of the Listín Diario newspaper, Miguel Franjul, at the Dominican pavilion.

Meeting of Dominican Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García with presidents of Spanish hotel chains.