“Not all people with disabilities travel, but if only 1% travel and they come to the Dominican Republic, we would be talking about millions of people.” Diego González, president of the Ibero-American Network for Accessible Tourism.
SANTO DOMINGO.- Accessibility is an acquired right and not a demand, therefore the country will not be the exception and within two years all formally registered hotels in the Dominican Republic must have accessibility and inclusion for people with some type of disability.
This was stated by the Dominican Minister of Tourism, David Collado, who reported that a delegation from a non-profit organization, knowledgeable in these matters, will soon come to the country to finalize an agreement and support the government entity in the process.
“I publicly commit that, in the coming years, from the Ministry of Tourism, we will ensure that all hotels in the Dominican Republic are inclusive for all human beings,” Collado stated.
He stated that a year ago, in Chicago, they signed an agreement with the non-profit organization Open Door, which specializes in creating accessibility in cities, and they will soon come to the country to finalize the agreement.
He opined that there are a considerable number of accessible hotels in the country, but more are needed, and others need to strengthen their accessibility.
He emphasized that all the projects the Ministry of Tourism is undertaking, such as the boardwalks, are being made accessible. "This is an approach I've been pursuing since my time as Mayor of the District; not a single project has been left inaccessible.".
According to the data he provided during his time as mayor, the number of people with disabilities exceeded 300,000 in the National District alone.
Collado discussed the topic during the opening of the 5th edition of the Ibero-American Summit on Accessible Tourism, organized by the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores) and the Association of Hotels of Santo Domingo (AHSD).
A market of opportunity
"In the United States market alone, accessible tourism represents more than $30 billion annually, and that's just in that market. So the accessible market worldwide is extremely large," said Rafael Blanco, president of Asonahores.
“This is a very important and growing market, and we have to look at it from two perspectives: it’s financially sustainable, but also from a human perspective. This is something that must be done because it’s morally right, and it’s something we definitely support,” he said.
Diego González, president of the Ibero-American Network of Accessible Tourism, said that the world's population with disabilities is around 1 billion people.
“Not all people with disabilities travel, but if only 1% of people with disabilities travel and arrive in the Dominican Republic, we would be talking about millions of people,” González said.
He points out that to take advantage of this opportunity, access must be facilitated not only in hotel facilities, but also in transportation, leisure activities, among others.
“It is a right, but it is also a market opportunity for the Dominican Republic,” González said.
In his opinion, the Dominican Republic has something important, which is that most of its accommodations already regulate accessibility, but he understands that work needs to be done on the issue of transportation, so that a person in a wheelchair can travel on that service.
“The Dominican Republic is on the path to becoming one of the countries that can guarantee all these facilities to people with disabilities and reduced mobility,” González said.
