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Luis Abinader participating in the World Economic Forum
The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, explained This Tuesday, how a multisectoral and coordinated strategy to recover tourism after the crisis caused by the covid pandemic has allowed the recovery of the sector and, therefore, of the country’s economy. ;s.
Abinader said it is“positive and optimistic” on the future of the tourism sector in the Dominican Republic, at a press conference at the Davos Economic Forum where the report was presented. the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021:Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future.
Japan, the United States, Spain, France and Germany head the list of this report published by the Davos Forum and which classifies 117 economies by a variety of factors that are crucial for development, sustainability and economic growth. resilience of its travel and tourism industry, which in turn contributes to economic and social development.
The report reveals that the sector is improving. showing signs of recovery in many parts of the world after being hit hard by the covid pandemic.
The Dominican president explained that was created A cabinet of tourism, with each area of government, including the ministers of Health and Defense, “to have only one voice and coordinated policies.”
Given that tourism supposes more than 20% of the gross domestic product (GDP) “to recover the economy of the Dominican Republic was to recover tourism. We meet every week in the tourism cabinet to analyze each issuing country, see the changes of the day, the crises, how to adapt”, since thousands of people in the country depend on tourism , he explained.
Abinader that the Dominican Republic suffered The negative impact of the pandemic on its GDP has been strongly highlighted due to the importance of this sector, unlike other countries in the region.
“In Brazil, the part of tourism in the GDP is very small, in Chile it has no impact, in Argentina it is small, in Uruguay it is, and they have also had a good recovery,” Mr. hello.
He said that the recovery “helped us.” our health infrastructure. We had at least second-level hospitals, and sometimes third-level hospitals, in each tourist destination and we were the first country in the world to create free covid insurance for each tourist, this It gave me confidence to travel to our country.”
“Now US tourism has grown, it is growing. Canada’s growing again. Before, we had visitors from Russia, even from the Ukraine, in fact, the last plane that arrived was from Russia. The only person who traveled to kyiv before the closure of the air space due to the war was from Punta Cana”, he pointed out.
“We had the best April in tourism since always, and we hope to have the best May. And the World Tourism Organization named us the country with the best recovery of the sector in the world”, he recalled, with figures last year of more than 75% of the pre-covid level and this year already at pre-pandemic levels .
The Davos Forum report points out that while international tourism and business travel in general are still below pre-pandemic levels >, the recovery of the sector has been driven by higher vaccination rates, the lifting of health restrictions and the growing demand for inland and nature tourism.
” “Government, business and civil society leaders can address barriers to recovery by looking at the different factors that can support the long-term development and resilience of their respective travel and tourism economies,” said Lauren Uppink, Director Aviation, Travel and Tourism at the World Economic Forum.