Expert highlights crisis management as key to Dominican tourism success

Santo Domingo.- Renowned tourism consultant Magaly Toribio emphasized that having beautiful beaches and quality hotels is not enough—effective crisis management, adaptability, and strategic promotion are essential for sustaining the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry. Speaking at the Catholic University of Santo Domingo during the lecture Marketing Strategies for Tourist Destinations, she stressed the need for an updated crisis management plan and a trained response team to protect the country’s image.
Toribio underscored the importance of strategic communication and coordination among stakeholders to mitigate crises. She cited a recent case involving an Indian tourist, arguing that issuing a statement in English and designating an official spokesperson could have countered misleading reports and preserved the country’s reputation. She also highlighted the role of flexibility, crisis management, and digital marketing in strengthening the Dominican Republic’s position as a top Caribbean destination.
Crisis management is a learned behavior. The unenthusiatic attitude businesses and government take towards the safety and well-being of the public is a leaking dike. The Dominican behavior, its culture, is to fix something after it breaks. It is not going to change soon. Crisis management is practiced on paper in the DR.