Abinader y Collado, at full speed with the promotion of Dominican Republic tourism

Experience and youth characterize the new team that will guide tourism

No effort will be spared to push the tourism industry

Next Sunday, August 16, a new presidential administration begins under the command of Luis Abinader, who finds the Dominican Republic in an economic crisis caused by Covid-19.

There are many plans that the elected government has in the pipeline to lift the most affected sectors in the country, including tourism, an industry on which Abinader has expressed his intention and interest in recovering in the healthiest and fastest way possible.

The first step of the president was the appointment of David Collado as Minister of Tourism, a surprise for many since he was not one of the names that were being considered for the position, but his actions as a result of his appointment began to take shape.

Collado comes from excellent management as mayor of Santo Domingo, where he emphasized the rescue of the tourist areas of the capital, perhaps, for this reason, the wise steps that he is taking on the way to his inauguration.

In his early days, he announced who would work alongside him to contribute their experience and help him recover the sector, with the appointment of Rafael “Papo” Blanco,  who will be an Honorary Advisor to the Ministry of Tourism ( Mitur ).

He also highlighted that the Planning and Projects Directorate of the Ministry of Tourism will include the integration of great Dominican professionals such as  Amin Abel, Shaney Peña, and  Juan Mubarak. “A team that will strengthen the institution with its knowledge,” he said.

After that, Collado gave way to an agenda of meetings and encounters with the main actors and promoters of national and international tourism. Starting with the bank by holding a meeting with the vice president of the tourist business area of  Banco Popular,  Juan Manuel Martín de Oliva, with whom he talked about the current challenges of tourism and their possible strategies to overcome the recent crisis.

Immediately the minister made his first trip abroad after his nomination and chose  Philadelphia to have deference with the largest tourist group in the United States,  Apple Leisure Group, which sends more than a million tourists to the Dominican Republic and is led by  Alex Zozaya,  Alejandro Reynal,  Javier Coll and  Gonzalo del Peón.

He continued to Spain, where he began his cycle of meetings with the CEO of the Meliá International chain,  Gabriel Escarrer. Followed by a meeting with the CEO of  Iberostar, Sabina Fluxá, to give continuity to the work carried out by the hotel company with which it operates 6 hotels, more than 3,000 rooms, and provides more than 3,000 direct jobs in the country.

In addition, with the directors of the Piñero Group headed by its president  Isabel Garcia Lorca and its executive vice president CEO,  Encarna Piñero, who are owners of the  Bahía Principe and  Playa Nueva Romana Hotels in the DR, who grant more than 3,000 jobs operating more than 14 hotels in the country.

At the local level, Collado held meetings with Paola Rainieri and Andrés Marranzini, president and executive vice president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism ( Asonahores ) respectively, and Frank Rainieri, CEO of Grupo Puntacana also participated, where they discussed issues in search of solutions for the bars and restaurants in the face of the pandemic, as they are a fundamental part of the complementary tourist offer.

He continued to give character to the role that he will develop for the next 4 years by supporting Oscar Villanueva and  Leonardo Macarulla,  who presented him with a project that will be developed in  Nisibón de Higüey, La Altagracia province.

Later, he met with the Samaná Tourism Cluster, Asonahores, and representatives of the area who shared with him the needs and projects of the province to increase its tourism potential.

He continued with the tourist businessmen of  Puerto Plata who found the Blue JackTar hotel and held a meeting organized by the  Tourism Cluster and its president, César José de los Santos; the president of the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism Companies of the North ( Ashonorte ),  José Natalio Redondo, in addition to Asonahores, who highlighted the air connectivity of the North area, and therefore called for the completion of the tourist highway and the sanitation of wastewater, among other pending issues.

With Collado’s actions, the message is clear, the minister will work for the recovery, rebound, and repositioning of the Dominican Republic as a strong tourist destination and the most popular within the Caribbean region.

After August 16, the words that were specified in each meeting will take shape and life to give continuity to the good numbers that the country has maintained in recent times in the number of rooms, tourists, and air connections.