The next edition of the International Tourism Fair, FITUR 2022, will present the Dominican Republic as a partner country, allowing it to promote the destination’s many tourist attractions to the world, and showcase the strong language, cultural and historic ties it maintains with Spain.
Luis Abinader, president of the Dominican Republic, and Eduardo López-Puertas, director general of IFEMA MADRID, made the announcement as they detailed their promotional plans for FITUR 2022 at a press conference recently in the Dominican Republic. Also in attendance at the ceremony was the country’s minister of tourism David Collado, as well as directors from the largest hotel chains in the Dominican Republic, most of which are Spanish-owned.
Abinader highlighted the importance of participating in FITUR to consolidate recovery of the flow of tourism to the country—a process that has seen the Dominican Republic already exceed pre-pandemic levels—as well as the country’s commitment to the tourism industry in order to bring about a total recovery, this in a year when the Dominican Republic expects to have its best season ever.
The director of IFEMA MADRID highlighted the importance of collaborating with the partner country, which helps to create a strong link through the joining of the brands “Dominican Republic Has it All” and FITUR. This will enable the Caribbean destination, with its long and solid record of participating in the fair, to take further advantage of and capitalize on the promotional potential of this global event. It will also take part in the week-long exhibition being held by FITUR under the slogan “We embrace the world,” with international exposure from the capital city of Madrid.
The concept of a FITUR Partner, which was first implemented in 2016, establishes a wide field of joint action in terms of promotion and communication, two areas of utmost importance at this grand event for the tourism industry. The event, which is organized by IFEMA MADRID, will be held from January 19–23 at the exhibition grounds of the Spanish capital.
This edition of FITUR, which is the only tourism fair in the world that was held last year despite the pandemic, is expected to see a 53 percent increase in attendance compared to the exhibition held in May 2021. The event aims to be a lever to stimulate tourism activity at a time when there are clear signs of improvement with travel making a comeback.
Under the slogan “Dominican Republic Has it All”, the country will promote its strengths as a tourism destination, highlighting its warm climate, the hospitality of its people and its connections with more than 1,400 airports in more than 170 countries, not to mention its handling of the pandemic in terms of tourism and high vaccination rates for the local population and workers in the tourism industry.
The Dominican Republic’s exhibition stand will not only feature its pristine beaches, palm trees and turquoise waters, but will also highlight the diverse gastronomic and cultural offerings, alongside golf courses, picturesque landscapes and the country’s increasing involvement in the Ecotourism segment, travel for conventions and incentives, and wellness tourism.
The spotlight will also be on Santo Domingo, a cosmopolitan city that is home to the Ciudad Colonial historic neighbourhood, which stands as a testament to the fact that America’s discovery started with Hispaniola. What’s more, Santo Domingo has twice been recognised as the “Gastronomic Capital of the Caribbean.”
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