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.

The Dominican government is providing relief effort staging areas at some of the international airports located on the island. The country experienced no damage from the earthquake and all transportation systems, communication systems, tourism businesses and medical facilities are operating smoothly, making the country available to offer support to the relief effort in any way needed.

“The Dominican Republic is making available its medical facilities for earthquake victims and is providing international relief organizations access to Haiti through the airport and seaports. Our transportation systems, communications systems, hotels, resorts, beaches and natural environment suffered no damage here. We are grateful and with deep concern open our hearts to our neighbors and will continue to do everything we can to help them and reassure global travelers that the Dominican Republic is receiving visitors,” the document pointed out.

The Dominican Republic shares the eastern third of the Island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Punta Cana, the major global tourism destination in the country is located approximately 400 miles (633 kilometers) east of Haiti’s capital, or a 10-12 hour drive, with numerous mountain ranges separating the two nations.

“The eight international airports are open and receiving flights, all of the DR’s cruise terminals and seaports are open and receiving ships; all of the DR’s beaches, hotels, resorts and tourism businesses are conducting normal business operations. At this time, no flights or group tours to the Dominican Republic have been cancelled,” Sectur officials highlighted.

Francisco Javier Garcia said November tourist arrivals climbed 6 percent more than the same month last year, with visits by nonresident foreigners to the country rising 4.49 percent, whereas those of nonresident Dominicans jumped 16.67 percent.

The official, speaking in the inaugural of the hotel Nouvelles Frontieres, in Uvero Alto, Punta Cana, noted that 284,824 tourists visited the country in November, surpassing the November 2008 arrivals of 286,469, an increase of 16,355, or 6.09 percent.

Garcia said of that amount 41,167 were nonresident Dominicans, more than the 35,284 in 2008, an increase 5,883 visitors to Dominican soil in that month, or 16.67 percent higher. He added that 243,472 nonresident foreigners visited in that period, compared with the 233,185 in 200, or 10,472 additional visitors, a 4.49 percent rise.

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