The main objective of this program was to equip participants with the necessary skills to face current challenges in the management of tourist destinations.
SANTO DOMINGO.- The Center for Technology and Continuing Education (TEP) of the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) celebrated last week the closing ceremony of the first cohort of the Diploma in Destination Management, a training program that had the participation of 22 participants, made up of 19 technicians and directors of the local Tourist Promotion Offices (OPT) of the Vice Ministry of Destination Management of the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur).
Also part of this first promotion were representatives from the Puerto Plata Destination Tourism Cluster, the Sierra Tourism Cluster, and the Samaná Environmental Forum, who successfully completed the rigorous academic program.
The diploma program consisted of seven modules developed over eight months, totaling 110 hours of training. The main objective of this program was to equip participants with the necessary skills to face current challenges in the management of tourist destinations, providing a solid conceptual foundation, analyzing the roles and functions of stakeholders in a destination, as well as the effective coordination between the public, private, and civil society sectors.
The program covered topics such as territorial planning, the impact of climate change, diversification into new markets, and online and offline marketing strategies, among others. All of this is aimed at facilitating the transition of local tourist guides (TGs) into destination management organizations (DMOs) with a more competent and efficient approach, according to a press release.
During the closing ceremony of the diploma program, the students presented their final diploma project projects in teams, in which they analyzed the opportunities for improvement of five Dominican tourist destinations: Jamao al Norte, Nagua, Santiago Rodríguez, Barahona and Saona Island.
“I am very pleased to hear from you, that you had to go to the destinations in order to, through field research, see and capture all this data that you have presented,” said the Vice Minister of Tourism Management of Mitur, Patricia Mejía, at the close of these presentations.
“With the public-private partnerships we have sought to establish, and with this vision of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), the Vice Ministry is urging change. Our mission is to create the first DMOs in the Dominican Republic, both in emerging and mature destinations, whether in Santiago Rodríguez, Samaná, or elsewhere,” the Vice Minister emphasized.
Yira Vermenton, director of provincial tourism initiatives, also gave a few words of thanks on behalf of Mitur.
During the opening remarks, Professor Clara Barriola, coordinator of the diploma program, emphasized that she hopes this first cohort will be the start of a training process that can expand within the Ministry of Tourism and reach various stakeholders, such as local councils, "so that they have a representative who knows about tourism and how to work together for the benefit of the destination," she highlighted.
At the closing ceremony of this Diploma program, graduates received a digital copy of the first Dominican Manual on Tourism Destination Management. This valuable resource was presented by Lissette Gil, representative of the Destinations of the Future Project (DEFUTUR) Samaná, marking an important milestone in the professionalization of the tourism sector in the country.
On behalf of the TEP of PUCMM and its teachers, Carlos Gómez, in charge of Continuing Education and Business Services of the TEP, thanked the Ministry of Tourism and the School of Tourism and Gastronomy of PUCMM for their support and commitment to the training and development of this program.
