SANTO DOMINGO.-The Caribbean Tourism Exchange (BTC 2025) kicked off its twenty-ninth edition, an event that will run until tomorrow, October 25. Santo Domingo is becoming the meeting point for professionals, investors, tour operators, and authorities linked to tourism, reaffirming the Dominican Republic's role as the epicenter of Caribbean and Latin American tourism.
The opening ceremony was led by Luis Felipe Aquino, president of the Caribbean Tourism Exchange, who in his opening speech highlighted the history of the event and its contribution to the promotion of the Dominican Republic in international markets.
“The Caribbean Tourism Exchange is a pioneering event among tourism fairs in the Dominican Republic, focused on the promotion, marketing and strengthening of the national tourism offer, with a special focus on non-traditional source markets and emerging markets in South America,” Aquino stated.
He emphasized that Santo Domingo, as the first city of the Americas, offers an ideal setting for this professional meeting, possessing a historical, cultural and religious heritage of incalculable value, which reflects the essence and identity of the Dominican people.
“Today, the Dominican Republic is positioned as the number one country in the Caribbean and Latin America, after Mexico, in receiving visitors. This leadership further commits us to strengthening our service infrastructure with efficiency, order, and quality, for the benefit of both visitors and citizens,” he stated.
Aquino took the opportunity to highlight the historic moment the national tourism sector is experiencing and to acknowledge the work of the Ministry of Tourism.
“The success of Dominican tourism is a source of great national pride, thanks to the vision and excellent management of David Collado, Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, in strategic alliance with the private tourism sector and the national banking sector.
He said that a sustainable, responsible, and competitive tourism model has been consolidated. Thanks to this, UN Tourism recently declared David Collado the 'Minister of Tourism of the Americas,' a recognition that highlights our country's leadership in the region,” Aquino noted.
The opening ceremony was attended by public and private officials, members of the diplomatic corps, national and international guests, as well as representatives of the Order of the Way of St. James of Compostela. The event is being held at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel Convention Center.
In this new edition, the BTC reaffirms its role as a platform for commercial and professional exchange, strengthening ties between the public and private sectors of South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Its objective is to promote interregional tourism and increase the flow of visitors in both directions.
Program
The program of activities includes the Trade Show, Cooking Shows, presentations of religious, cultural and artisanal tourism, as well as technical and professional conferences, which make up a diverse and innovative offer adapted to the new market trends.
Among this year's highlights is the first dental tourism meeting in the Dominican Republic, led by Dr. Zoila Fernández, a prominent professional in the dental sector and promoter of health tourism in the region.
“This initiative seeks to foster and attract demand from the Caribbean markets and the Dominican diaspora, positioning the Dominican Republic as a reliable, competitive and excellent destination for dental tourism,” Aquino noted.
BTC 2025 also reaffirms its commitment to accessible tourism, spearheaded by architect Adis Ozuna, president of the Dominican Network for Accessible Tourism. This rapidly expanding global segment encourages destinations to adapt their infrastructure and services to fully accommodate people with disabilities, thus fostering inclusive and responsible tourism.
Religious tourism also plays a leading role in this edition. Kirsy de los Santos, Director of Religious Tourism at the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) and member of the Dominican Episcopal Conference's Tourism Commission, will present the "Paths of Faith" project, an initiative that seeks to strengthen the promotion of the country's religious destinations and integrate them more firmly into the national tourism offerings.
