SANTO DOMINGO.- With the recovery of various sectors following the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent impact of the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it is urgent to find alternatives to attract better-trained employees for the new tourism model that the world requires.
Encarna Piñero, CEO of the Piñero Group and president of Inverotel, a company that brings together some 16 hotel chains in the country, considered that the industry must change and that the situation faced by tourism entrepreneurs is a reality, "We have to reinvent ourselves.".
He asserted that nowadays it is more difficult to ensure the retention of human resources, and even more so, those trained who already have the knowledge to seek better job offers.
"We have the value of the talent that interacts with clients and transmits the energy and culture that the Dominican Republic possesses; now we need to address measures to retain them, involving them more in the projects," he stated.
"Collaborators are no longer simply looking for financial gain; they want to be part of the projects and buy into their ideas," which is why it is necessary to enable an educational channel that allows the transfer of knowledge, including culture, music, language, gastronomy, and art.
"Tourists want to meet the person who makes mamajuana, the one who makes the candy, and even the one who knows how to play the instruments," Piñero emphasized.
For her part, Jacqueline Mora, technical vice-minister of the Ministry of Tourism ( Mitur ) , explained that tourism faces a new challenge that affects the development of its operations: the loyalty of human talent.
The experts' considerations were expressed during their participation in the XIV Ibero-American Business Meeting, with the panel "Tourism in Ibero-America: the great lever for recovery.
Mora outlined the government's strategy for tourism training, specifying that the Dominican government has advanced its proposal to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to build a regional tourism training institute in Punta Cana. This institute aims to strengthen the tourism experience offered in the country and in Latin American nations, providing technical and professional training in customer service, personalized attention, sustainability, and other areas to develop more human talent.
He said the government has already begun reaching out to higher education institutions. "We've already met with the Catholic University to integrate professional training in the Pedernales province," where an ambitious tourism development project is underway that requires training citizens and their families to increase their commitment and ensure the transfer of knowledge about the hospitality industry.
He explained that at the end of each external crisis, the sector's needs emerge, including continuing to innovate, diversifying investment, and strengthening the supply, with greater sustainability and integration.
He noted that, as part of the government's commitment to adding value to the industry, they have considered evaluating the integration of projectsnear tourist provinces so that specialized workers can be located closer to hotels and reduce their transportation costs.
The aim is to expand access to low-cost housing to counteract the migration of hospitality professionals
He asserted that, currently, it is more difficult to ensure the retention of human resources, and even more so, those trained who already have the knowledge to seek better job offers.
