During their stay in the country until the 25th of this month, and within the context of the work agenda, the Costa Rican technicians will visit protected areas and exchange experiences with residents in communities of Samaná, Las Galeras, Jamao al Norte and Puerto Plata.
SANTO DOMINGO– A delegation of Costa Rican technicians from entities dealing with protected areas, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), and representatives of the international cooperation agency GIZ are in the country to learn about experiences in biodiversity issues in selected tourist destinations and community participation in the country's protected areas.
The project “Management of Tourist Destinations Responsible to Biodiversity and Resilient to Health Crises” is supported by the German Cooperation for Development (GIZ).
Carlos Andrés Peguero, Vice Minister of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), led the welcoming ceremony for the Costa Rican mission that, together with local specialists in the area, will be in charge of the project.
The ambassadors of Germany, Mrs. Maike Friedrichsen, and of Costa Rica, Edwin Arias Chinchilla, in the Dominican Republic were present.
Peguero highlighted the commitment of the government led by Luis Abinader to respect the environment, protected areas and ecosystems, as exemplified by the new Pedernales Tourism project, 66 percent of which is a protected area.
“We believe that the new chapter we must build is that of sustainable tourism in harmony with the communities that receive tourism,” he noted.
The Mitur official highlighted the importance of this initiative to exchange experiences, appreciating the richness in biodiversity and tourism development shown by Costa Rica over the years.
During the event, Maike Friedrischsen, Germany's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, praised the nature, landscapes, and human warmth of the country, common factors shared by both Costa Rica and the Caribbean nation. She stated that her country's government and German cooperation were pleased to support such initiatives.
Edwin Arias Chinchilla, Costa Rica's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, highlighted the inclusion in the initiative of some 18 innovative ideas for the recovery of the tourism sector between both countries, including the development of tourism products, waste management, among others.
He noted that, after two years of implementation, this project is intended to contribute to achieving the United Nations' sustainable development goals and 2030 Agenda.
For her part, Olaya Dotel, Vice Minister of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPyD), thanked the governments of Germany and Costa Rica for providing the necessary tools to successfully contribute to the development of this project.
He argued that the exchange of knowledge regarding health protocols and other tools, stemming from the global crisis caused by Covid-19, was key to sustaining Dominican tourism, "which in 2022 saw 7.16 million non-resident tourists and around 8 billion dollars in revenue, making it a record year for the tourism industry.".
Also participating virtually were the Dominican Republic's ambassador to Costa Rica, Mayerlin Cordero Díaz, and Rafael Gutiérrez Rojas, Minister of Environment and Energy and Executive Director of the System of Conservation Areas of the Central American country.
Both agreed on the benefits that will result from these meetings due to the common themes and aspects that both Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic have in natural resources such as biodiversity, as well as the experiences of community participation in protected areas.
During their stay in the country until the 25th of this month, and within the context of the work agenda, the Costa Rican technicians will visit protected areas and exchange experiences with residents in communities of Samaná, Las Galeras, Jamao al Norte and Puerto Plata.
The project also has the support of the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (MIDEPLAN).
