SANTODOMINGO– Asonahores, the Dominican Republic's Hotel and Tourism Association, and AHSD, the Santo Domingo Hotel Association, announced the 5th edition of the Ibero-American Summit on Accessible Tourism, to be held in the Dominican Republic. The summit aims to promote more sustainable tourism and drive social change towards inclusion in hotel and tourist facilities, impacting various productive sectors of the country.
It will take place from November 1st to 2nd at the Sheraton Hotel in Santo Domingo.
Rafael Blanco Tejera, president of Asonahores, indicated that this type of initiative seeks to promote an inclusive culture through which all people can participate on equal terms in tourism services and products.
“This activity represents an opportunity to showcase the quality of tourist facilities and the commitment to accessibility and inclusion that our tourism industry has, and it also opens up opportunities to new market niches,” he stated.
The event features the participation of the 11 countries that make up the Ibero-American Network of Accessible Tourism, whose main purpose is to promote and encourage the development of accessible tourism in the region, from the tourism sector (Spain, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina and Ecuador).
Agenda
The agenda features international and national speakers who will share valuable information and success stories, with the aim of strengthening the commitment to working towards tourism for all.
They indicated that the Conference “United for a more Accessible and Inclusive Tourism in Ibero-America” will be presented, with the presentation by Diego González, president of the Ibero-American Network of Accessible Tourism.
Also, the panel “Accessible and Inclusive Transportation, the Great Challenge of the 21st Century”, with the participation of Luis José López, corporate director of Communications of AERODOM; Quemuel Arroyo, director of Accessibility of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the state of New York; Francisco Medela, general director of Airports Council International Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LA) and Linda Ristagno, head of Accessibility Policies, International Air Transport Association (IATA).
In addition, the panel “Dominican Republic for Accessible Tourism” will be held, with the participation of Yudit García, president of AHSD; Alma Ferrera, in charge of Accessibility of the National Council for Disability (Conadis); Amin Abel Santos, general coordinator OIDTUCC, Comprehensive Program for Tourism and Urban Development of Ciudad Colonia; Rafael Blanco Tejera, president of Asonahores, and Ana García-Sotoca, executive director of the La Romana-Bayahibe Hotel Association.
The panel “Smart Tourist Destinations and the Challenge of Accessibility” will be presented, with the presence of Adis Ozuna, vice president of the Ibero-American Network of Accessible Tourism; Juan Rotzinger, legal representative of the Tequila Integral Development Council; Karol Fajardo, director of the District Tourism Institute of Bogotá, and Enrique Martínez, president of SEGITTUR Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of Spain.
The program now includes the keynote address “The Big Numbers of Accessible Tourism” by Laurel Van Horn, VP and Director of Programs at Open Doors Organization. Also added is the panel discussion “Intermediation and Specialized Destination Management in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Value Chain,” featuring Judith Cardenas, Secretary General of the Ibero-American Accessible Tourism Network; Arturo Gaona of Wheel the World; Rodrigo Moreno, CEO of Travel Experience; and Pedro Hernández, CEO of Travegali. In addition, there will be a presentation, “I Travel, You Set the Limits,” by Leo Morales of Adapted Diving.
This fifth edition is organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Asonahores, AHSD, the Santo Domingo Tourism Cluster, ADN, Conadis, RITURACCES, Dominican Association of Rehabilitation, Association of People with Physical Motor Disabilities, Ibero-American Network of Entities of People with Disabilities, the Dominican Federation of Women's and Men's Wheelchair Basketball (Fedobasir) and other organizations and groups of people with different types of disabilities that are represented under the umbrella of Conadis.
