Minister of Tourism David Collado along with 15 more ministers and vice ministers of tourism of the Americas established partnership agreements and procedures for relaunching tourism in the region in a meeting called by the World Tourism Organization and led in its inauguration by Luis Abinader, President of Dominican Republic.

Tourism leaders in the Americas committed to jointly addressing the reactivation of tourism, making the sector a priority and adopting international protocols. Additionally, they agreed to emphasize innovation and digital transformation, develop sustainable tourism and strengthen support mechanisms for workers and impacted companies.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili commended the way Dominican Republic has handled the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted that "reestablishing trust in travel is a key first step towards tourism recovery, bringing hope to millions of people in the Americas and igniting the economic recuperation in general."

In his welcome to the Tourism ministers and representatives from throughout the Americas, President Luis Abinader highlighted the role of UNWTO as a catalyst for innovation and synergies and called on those present to strengthen themselves as a shared destination and as a region through unity, determination, focus and joint vision.

Minister Collado stressed that the tourism sector generates employment opportunities for more than 500,000 families and contributes 15% of thecountry's Gross Domestic Product. Similarly, he endorsed the commitment "with the Dominicans, with sector partners and with the millions of tourists who are eagerly waiting to visit and know the beautiful destinations within Dominican Republic."

Among the main topics of discussion included re-establishing confidence in travel, protecting businesses and jobs, and ensuring that the benefits of the tourism revival are felt beyond the industry itself. The working sessions were attended in person by ministers and vice ministers of Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela, and virtually by government officials from Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, Nicaragua, and Peru.

The meetings were developed with the coordination of the host country through the Ministry of Tourism of Dominican Republic,with the participation of representatives of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Civil AviationInternacional Organization (ICAO) and the Association of Hotels and Tourism of Dominican Republic, among other sector organizations.

The summit ended with attendees signing the Declaration of Punta Cana which sealed the commitment of the regional leaders to make tourism a pillar of sustainable development and ensure an effective recovery plan post-COVID.

About Dominican Republic

Well known for off-the-beaten-path excursions, rich culture, endless amenities and year-round perfect climate, Dominican Republic is a place like no other. Easily accessible via a direct flight from most major airports, it is an ideal oasis for celebrities, couples and families alike. From hiking trails to undiscovered beaches and world-class golf courses, here you can renew in our luxurious and diverse accommodations, explore ancient relics of centuries past, revel in Dominican fare, or enjoy ecotourism adventures in our magnificent national parks, mountain ranges and rivers.

Surrounded by the Caribbean Sea on the south and the Atlantic Ocean on the north, Dominican Republic features a variety of sports, recreation and entertainment options, exclusive cultural experiences like dancing, carnival festivities, plus Dominican specialties such as cigars, rum, chocolate, coffee, amber and larimar. Between adventurous Puerto Plata, lush Samaná, historic Santo Domingo, sunny Punta Cana, luxe La Romana, bustling Barahona and more, each area has something for every type of traveler and budget.
In addition to its uncharted experiences coast to coast, the country has also generated a worldwide reputation for its warm, and hospitable people. With eight international airports and nine distinct ecological zones it has never been more accessible or appealing to explore Dominican Republic. To learn more and begin planning your trip visit the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism's official website.

Download the Go Dominican Republic App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

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About UN Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Our Priorities

Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda: Advocating the value of tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development, its inclusion as a priority in national and international policies and the need to create a level playing field for the sector to develop and prosper.

Promoting sustainable tourism development: Supporting sustainable tourism policies and practices: policies which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and provide socio-economic benefits for all.

Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building: Supporting countries to assess and address their needs in education and training, as well as providing networks for knowledge creation and exchange.

Improving tourism competitiveness: Improving UN Tourism Members' competitiveness through knowledge creation and exchange, human resources development and the promotion of excellence in areas such as policy planning, statistics and market trends, sustainable tourism development, marketing and promotion, product development and risk and crisis management.

Advancing tourism's contribution to poverty reduction and development: Maximizing the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and achieving the SDGs by making tourism work as a tool for development and promoting the inclusion of tourism in the development agenda.

Building partnerships: Engaging with the private sector, regional and local tourism organizations, academia and research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable, responsible and competitive tourism sector.

Our Structure

Members: An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers and over 500 Affiliate Members.

Organs: The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization. The Executive Council take all measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly and reports to the Assembly.

Secretariat: UN Tourism headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General and organized into departments covering issues such as sustainability, education, tourism trends and marketing, sustainable development, statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), destination management, ethics and risk and crisis management. The Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department carries out development projects in over 100 countries worldwide, while the Regional Departments for Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East serve as the link between UN Tourism and its 160 Member States. The Affiliate Members Department represents UN Tourism's 500 plus Affiliate members.

UN Tourism Communications Department
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UN Tourism