SANTO DOMINGO – A tourist's experience doesn't begin when they arrive at the hotel, nor does it end when they leave the beach. It starts the moment they board a vehicle at the airport, travel the country's roads, or use a transportation service to move between destinations.
Under that premise, the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) agreed to work together to strengthen one of the least visible, but most decisive links in the tourism industry.
Tourism Minister David Collado and ITF Secretary General Stephen Cotton signed a memorandum of cooperation on Wednesday aimed at promoting safer, more efficient tourist mobility with international standards, during the meeting of the Caribbean National Coordination Committee (NCC), held in Punta Cana.
According to the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), the initiative seeks to strengthen land transportation linked to tourism through the exchange of knowledge, technical assistance, and international experiences that contribute to raising the quality of service offered to the millions of visitors who arrive in the Dominican Republic each year.
Transportation, part of tourism competitiveness
Although it often takes a back seat to hotel offerings or natural attractions, transportation represents one of the first and last contacts a visitor has with the destination.
Therefore, the agreement recognizes the role played by drivers, tour operators and other workers in the sector in building the country's image, promoting actions aimed at improving road safety, operational efficiency, innovation and professionalization of transportation services linked to tourism.
According to the ministry, the cooperation aims to incorporate international best practices that will strengthen the competitiveness of the Dominican Republic as a destination in a context where the quality of the visitor's overall experience is becoming increasingly important.
A service that influences the perception of the destination
During the signing of the memorandum, Collado stressed that strengthening transportation means strengthening the entire tourism chain.
"When we strengthen our transportation sector, we strengthen the entire Dominican Republic tourism experience. They are the first welcome and often the last memory a visitor takes away from our country," the official stated.
He stated that the agreement will allow for continued raising of industry standards through training processes, exchange of experiences, and the incorporation of international best practices.
He also noted that recognizing the work of transporters represents an important step in further consolidating the quality of Dominican tourism.
International cooperation to raise standards
The memorandum includes mechanisms for technical cooperation between both institutions to strengthen the quality of transport services that support tourism, benefiting both workers in the sector and visitors.
As part of the activity, the International Transport Workers' Federation presented an award to David Collado for his leadership in strengthening tourism and for promoting greater integration between the tourism and transport sectors.
Upon receiving the award, the official stated that the recognition also belongs to those who transport visitors daily and contribute to projecting a positive image of the country.
"This recognition also goes to our transportation workers, who welcome visitors every day with professionalism, hospitality, and pride. They are the ones who help millions of tourists take away the best image of our country," he stated.
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