The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili, delivered on May 9 to the Dominican Republic, into the hands of President Luis Abinader and the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, with a recognition for achieving “the most successful recovery of the industry”, reaching “record figures” in the arrival of tourists, while maintaining control over the covid-19 pandemic.
UNWTO presented Abinader and Collado with the plaque with the inscription: “The World Tourism Organization and its Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, recognize the Dominican Republic as the number one country in the world in the recovery of tourism.”
The Caribbean nation went from having 90,000 tourists in August 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, to breaking the record of visits a year later, surpassing pre-covid-19 levels. Minister Collado made the comparisons that show a frank recovery.
According to Collado The Dominican Republic had its best months of October, November and December in 2021, and in April 2022 it broke yet another historic ceiling, in the midst of the war in Europe.
President Abinader narrated how he had to overcome all the obstacles he encountered every time the government tried to bring tourists to the country, and all the measures that were taking along the way such as medical insurance for tourists, free tests and financing vacations for local tourism.
He attributed the success to the Tourism Cabinet, the employers, the financial sector, the trade union and the tourism employees.
Abinader justified his focus on tourism by highlighting the impact this industry has on the entire economic inner workings: the increase in the value of the Dominican peso, the decrease in debt (when compared with the GDP), the growth of the economy and the rebound in employment. “As tourism goes, so goes the Dominican Republic,” he said.
Pololikashvili praised Abinader’s management for having created “different governance” and “demonstrated leadership” as the Dominican Republic’s main promoter abroad.
He acknowledged that, for the first time, a head of state went to the International Tourism Fair (Fitur), in Madrid, “like a soldier” to promote his country the “24/7”. The ceremony was held in the Columbus Park in the Colonial City, with the participation of tourism entrepreneurs and other members of the industry.
Source:
Diario Libre