Santo Domingo.-  Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Carlos García Granda has expressed interest in fostering multi-destination opportunities and sharing expertise in personnel training with the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism (Mitur).

García Granda highlighted the significant presence of Dominican-trained professionals in the Cuban tourism sector, including pastry chefs and experienced managers. He emphasized the potential for strategic alliances between the two countries, with Cuba’s focus on community-based, sustainable rural, and circuit tourism complementing its renowned sun and beach offerings, which currently support over 80,000 operational hotel rooms.

“We possess a rich heritage, with seven cities designated as world heritage sites, actively preserved and engaging local communities,” he noted. Despite enduring over 60 years of economic blockade measures imposed by the United States, García Granda underscored the resilience of Cuba’s tourism product.

In response, Dominican Tourism Minister David Collado affirmed García Granda’s interest in understanding Mitur’s Tourist Intelligence System (Situr) and the tax incentives provided by the Tourism Development Council (Confotur) for new hotel investments.

Collado also expressed the Dominican Republic’s eagerness to learn from Cuba’s management of historic centers, with plans to apply similar preservation measures in its own colonial areas. However, Collado clarified that discussions between the two nations are in early stages, with no formal agreements or detailed execution plans yet established.