Asonahores considers reopening of Canada and Europe “vital” to revive tourism

The president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism(Asonahores), Rafael Blanco Tejera, said that “for us it is essential that Canada and Europe open because the United States,after a certain point, there is no way for it to continue growing.”

He indicated that there is the confidence that Canada will allow its citizens to travel soon, and that is where the Dominican Republic hopes to take advantage of it to be of interest to Canadians again, according to Diario Libre.

“The arrival from that nation and also from Europe is vital on the way to return to the levels that were recorded before the arrival of Covid-19. ” There are countries in Europe that, in theory, are open but are not promoting their citizens to travel,” he emphasized.

The absence of such visitors has implications for the level of employment in the tourism sector, which has been hit hardest by the pandemic. Moreover, as the activity is subject to sanitary protocols dictated by the Ministry of Tourism – which only now allows the occupation of 80% of the facilities – this means that not all their employees have returned to the hotels.

In 2019, Canada and Europe accounted for 41% of foreign visits to the Dominican Republic, according to official data.

In the first half of this year 2021, Canadian and European tourists did not account for even 16% of arrivals to the country.