Dominican tourism sector unites against tour guide strike threat

Santo Domingo.- Leading voices in the Dominican Republic’s tourism sector issued a rare unanimous rebuke this week to a planned 24‑hour strike by the Colectivo de Organizaciones de Guías Turísticos, warning that halting guide services could undermine the sector’s hard‑won stability and tarnish the nation’s reputation as a Caribbean travel haven.

Tourism sector associations, including Asonahores, AHSD, Ashoresa, Asoleste, Opetur, Adavit and the La Romana–Bayahíbe Tourism Cluster, among others, released a joint statement Friday dismissing the strike call for July 22 as counterproductive. The guide collective demands stricter enforcement against unlicensed “informal” guides, arguing that unqualified operators dilute service quality and jeopardize the profession’s credibility. But the associations counter that a work stoppage would inflict far greater damage, disrupting tours at peak season and risking cancellations across their portfolios.

“The solution cannot be a hammer blow,” said Daniel Vargas, a tourism economist at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. “A strike might force headlines, but it will also drive tourists to alternative destinations, perhaps even to competing Caribbean islands eager to capture disgruntled visitors.”

As security concerns over unaccredited guides linger, the government is expected to increase spot‑checks of guide credentials at key sites such as Zona Colonial, Altos de Chavón and the Isla Saona ferry docks. Tour operators, meanwhile, plan to roll out a unified “Verified Guide” emblem by next month, offering travelers an easy way to identify licensed professionals and reassuring international partners that the Dominican Republic remains a model of service excellence.