The Dominican Republic once again exhibits its best tourist attractions within the framework of the forty-fifth edition of the International Tourism Fair (Fitur), which is held in Madrid, Spain.
Yesterday, in the run-up to the formal opening of the event – which will begin this Wednesday, January 22nd and will end on Sunday, January 26th – the Ministry of Tourism presented to executives from the international tourism sector, agencies and tour operators the strategy “Destination Brands“, a concept that seeks to elevate the country’s tourism offering under a “vibrant, sustainable and full of authenticity” approach.
“We are placing the Country Brand in the place it deserves, in a place of pride and in an aspirational place and creating, like large companies, an umbrella of destinations of our brands of pride, as we are doing today,” said the Minister of Tourism, David Colladoat the start of the presentationon a stage at the Four Seasons hotel in Madrid.
As part of this strategy, the institution has taken four tourist poles key that the Government seeks to encourage throughout this fair: Miches, Samaná, Costa del Ámbar (Puerto Plata) and Santiago.
“Each destination represents a experience unique that highlights our culturehistory and landscapes unmatched, offering travelers a connection authentic with the essence of Dominican Republic“Collado said in a message through his X account.
“We are placing the Country Brand in the place it deserves, creating an umbrella of destinations”Minister of Tourism
During the presentationattendees participated in a experience immersive with audiovisual presentations and cultural samples that highlighted the attributes of these tourist destinations.
Furthermore, they exposed projects aimed at consolidating cities as an attractive destination for leisure and business tourism, as part of the national strategy tourism promotion.
The initiative seeks to reflect the commitment of the Dominican Republic with the innovationthe sustainability and the development of unique experiences that transcend the expectations of modern tourism.
Santiagothe novelty
Although in previous editions of Fitur The attributes that Puerto Plata, Samaná and Miches have to offer visitors and investors interested in stimulating these strategic poles have been highlighted, in this edition it was added to Santiago like a City Brand.
The initiative aims to position Santiago as a niche market Meeting TourismIncentives, Congresses and Exhibitions (MICEfor its acronym in English), in addition to highlighting the cultural, business, historical and innovative qualities that distinguish the district as an exemplary tourist destination in the northern region.
“Destination brands are part of the new strategy of the Ministry of Tourism in 2025. With this initiative, we reaffirm our commitment to the development of destinations that highlight their essence and potential. Santiago is an example of this, standing out as a key reference in the field MICE and an engine of growth for the country,” said Collado.
Ties with Spain
Prior to the event, Collado held a meeting with his Spanish counterpart, the Minister of Commerce and Tourism of Spain, Jordi Hereu Boher, with the aim of strengthening the bilateral relations between both countries and promote the growth of dominican tourism.
During the meeting, both officials agreed to establish an agenda to strengthen tourism between the two countries. Spain is the second largest foreign investor in the Dominican Republicwith more than 60 spanish companies who have trusted the country to place their capital.
Within the framework of the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) 2025, Banco BHD developed the second edition of the BHD Forum: Tourism and Investment, focused on the topic “Opportunities of the economic ecosystem of tourism in the Dominican Republic.” The panel addressed various topics, including the importance of multi-sector collaboration and how companies can take advantage of synergies within a tourism ecosystem that the financial entity defined as “resilient”. The Minister of Tourism, David Collado, intervened and highlighted the active participation of the business community and the Dominican financial system: “It is an example of how the union of state organizations and the private sector promotes the development of the tourism sector.” The president of BHD, Steven Puig, highlighted that the bank is very aware of the impact of tourism on the development of the provinces and on the well-being of Dominicans.”We commit to continue being promoters of local tourism, facilitating not only our value proposition to this sector, but also spaces for dialogue like this one, which encourage knowledge and strengthen links between the companies that work for the economic ecosystem of tourism,” he emphasized.
As a state financial entity, Banreservas’ financial support has played an important role in the development of multiple tourism projects in the country. The loan portfolio to the tourism sector was 54,294 million pesos at the end of 2024, for an expansion of 144% compared to 2020, when it amounted to 22,261 million pesos. The president of the financial entity, Samuel Pereyra, highlighted that the participation of that entity’s credit portfolio within commercial banking went from 29% in 2020 to more than 44% at the end of last year, thanks to the financing granted to the hotel sector, to which is added the “absolute leadership in financing to tourist ports and theme parks.” He specified that the investments financed in tourism by Banreservas have provided 3,121 rooms in 11 hotels, two cruise ports, and an internationally recognized theme park, in addition to facilities for working capital and remodeling of hotel structures. Within the framework of Fitur 2025, the entity also announced that Banreservas’ assets rose to 1 trillion 215,668 million pesos at the end of 2024, for an increase of 7.8% compared to 2023.
