Dominican tourism industry’s 3.3% climb signals a promissory future

Despite the economic woes among the major international markets, Dominican Republic’s tourism industry 2010 and start of 2011 with encouraging signals including a 3.1% growth last year and a positive tendency that has continued in the first quarter this year, as evidenced by a climb of 3.3% in the arrival of foreigners by air.

“We have a promissory future,” said National Hotels and Tourism Association (ASONAHORES) president Julio Llibre, to welcome the hoteliers, tour operators and journalists in the opening cocktail for the Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange DATE-2011 held at the Hard Rock Hotel’s convention center, where the business rounds take place.

Tomorrow Thursday the event moves to the new Bavaro Barceló Palace de Luxe in the Barceló Hotels complex, where the Caribbean feast for the delegates goes into the night.

Llibre said the tourism sector has entered a new phase “of consolidation of the product that has matured with an updated and diversified offer in keeping with the requirements of the most sophisticated markets.” He said the Dominican tourism which depends mostly on the modality of all included, of sun and beach, “has been perfected and progressively diversified.”

“We’ve fomented parallel boutique hotels and tourist condos in the country, oriented to the latter, to new segments that increasingly demand prolonged stays and customized services,” the business leader said.

Calling it “more good news,” Llibre said that thanks to tourism and other attractions, Dominican Republic is still the Caribbean’s most attractive destination for investors, with 37% (US$2.2 billion) of the region’s US$5.8 billion investment in the 2009-2010 period.

Source: Dominican Today

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