Dominican Republic to host first international tourism journalism forum
Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Association of Tourism Press (Adompretur) will host its first International Tourism Journalism Forum on Oct. 23, bringing journalists and tourism experts from Argentina, Mexico, Panama and the Dominican Republic together to examine how artificial intelligence, sustainability and new media formats are changing coverage of travel destinations.
The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel in Santo Domingo, as part of the 30th anniversary of the Caribbean Tourism Exchange (BTC).
Under the theme “Tell, Connect and Transform: New Narratives for Tourism Destinations,” the forum will address emerging approaches to destination coverage and the role of specialized journalism in connecting travelers with local cultures, communities and tourism experiences.
Adompretur President Sarah Hernández said the meeting would provide a space to discuss the challenges facing the profession as audience habits change, traditional media evolve and digital platforms and artificial intelligence reshape content production.
The initiative also seeks to strengthen ties among journalists, press organizations, public institutions and academic communities across Latin America and the Caribbean, Hernández said.
Argentine journalist Fernando Milo will deliver the opening presentation, titled “Tell, Connect and Transform: Tourism Journalism and the Destinations of the Future.” Milo hosts Contexto Turístico, a television and multiplatform program broadcast in Argentina on Telemax, and serves as secretary of the International Federation of Tourism Press (FIPETUR).
The program will also feature Mexican journalist Armando de la Garza in a discussion on new ways to communicate the appeal of destinations and connect with travelers. A separate panel, “Tourism Journalism Without Borders: New Perspectives on Latin America and the Caribbean,” will bring together tourism expert and economic consultant Juan Lladó of the Dominican Republic and Panamanian journalist Yzela Noriega, president of the Association of Panamanian Tourism Communicators (COPTUR).
Sustainable destination development and the relationship between tourism, territorial planning and community identity will be another focus. Veteran journalist and former Adompretur president Luis José Chávez will lead a discussion with architect Julio César Corral on how infrastructure, land-use planning and heritage shape destinations and their coverage.
A panel on artificial intelligence, social media and emerging formats will examine how technology is changing content production, with particular attention to information verification, misinformation, professional credibility and ethical standards. The discussion will be led by experts José Ramón Torres and Guillermo Molina Mueses.
The agenda also includes a debate on multidestination travel as a strategy to strengthen tourism links among the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Before the forum closes, Adompretur will present the Santo Domingo Declaration on Tourism Journalism and Communication. The document will outline principles for responsible professional practice, addressing ethics, editorial independence, the responsible use of artificial intelligence, sustainability and regional cooperation.
The forum is coordinated by journalists José Rafael Sosa, José Antonio Aybar and José Tejada Gómez. Adompretur said the initiative reflects its commitment to professional training and the exchange of expertise to promote tourism development that creates opportunities for local communities.
