Milan.- The Minister of Tourism signed agreements to bolster cooperation with major Italian tour operators and airlines, to strengthen and expand the diversity of the Dominican Republic destination in that European nation.

Francisco Javier Garcia signed agreements with Nardo Filipetti, president of Eden Viaggi; Franco Pecci, head of the Blue-Panorama charter airline; and executives of the Alpitourworld group, to boost the number of travelers to the Dominican Republic .

He said his visit to Italy, where he took part in the 30th International Tourism Market (BIT-2010), is the starting point for the arrival of Italian tourists to Dominican Republic resumes its previous leadership. “We want Italian tourists to visit us, to observe the important investments the government and the private sector have made in the tourism regions such as Samaná, Puerto Plata, Bavaro and Punta Cana.”

Garcia said the designation of Santo Domingo as the American Culture Capital in 2010 is another added value to the Dominican destination.

Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia said since mid 2008 Tourism applied four pillars to define its work policy: “attract new investments, bolster and expand internal destinations, motor sustainable tourism and maintain the harmony and collaboration among the sector’s members.

In a statement, Garcia said the Government maintains a special interest in the integral development of those strategies because tourism continues being the country’s top currency provider, and noted the participation in international tourism fairs including Fitur, in Madrid, ITB Berlin and Top Resa, in France.

He affirmed that local programs seek to recover and develop value tourist sites, by providing the needed structural repairs for optimal yield, such as new access roads and constant vigilance to guarantee the visitors’ safety. “The reach for the objectives has materialized based on a climate of harmony and cooperation between the authorities, the hoteliers, investors and tour operators.”

Source: DominicanToday.com

Tourism minister Felix Jiménez said last month’s arrival of Canadian and U.S. tourists grew 9 and 7.4 percent respectively, whereas flow from England, Belgium and Spain also posted growth.

The official said among Dominican Republic’s new tourism markets are Russians, Mexicans (12 percent), Ecuadorians (103 percent) and Peru (27percent). “In general, during the past month of March 389,075 nonresident foreigners arrived at the country by air.”

Eases stance on Tourism regulatory body

In another topic Jimenez suggested new proposals to ease his position on the bill creating the National Tourism Development Institute (Indetur).

Although the official defended the private sector’s involvement in Indetur’s Governing Board, he said the agency wouldn’t have the power to negotiate public debt.

The Tourism chief spoke in a press conference Monday afternoon after meeting for around 4 hours with the Chamber of Deputies Committee to study the bill, which forced the other representatives of the industry to hastily explain their views.

Source: DominicanToday.com

Eleven Cuban publishing houses with more than 300 titles of different genres are taking part in this event that on this occasion is dedicated to five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters who remain imprisoned in the United States since 1998.

Artists, academics, politicians and religious people make up the Committee of Honor of this year´s event, presided over by the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo along with several associations of friendship with Cuba.

The fair will also visit the cities of Puerto Plata, Santiago de los Caballeros, San Francisco de Macorís, Bonao, La Romana, Bani and Barahona. The program of the fair also includes other events such as sports and recreational activities.

Source: DominicanToday.com