Experts will analyze impact of the reopening of tourism in the DR

The virtual event will be held on August 18 at 6:00 PM, and will feature the participation of Francesca Rainieri, senior vice president of Grupo Puntacana; Andrés Marranzini, Executive Vice President of Asonahores; Julio Heinsen, Member of the Board of Directors of ET Heinsen SA; and José Natalio Redondo, vice president of the Puerto Plata Tourism Cluster and president of the North Coast Hotel Association.

The panel, which will be moderated by Juan Velázquez, vice president and administrator of Costasur , will address the experiences, opportunities for improvements in the different poles of the country after the reopening of tourism, specifically regarding the evaluation of generic protocols implemented and their economic impact in the provinces.

Santo Domingo, August 11.- To analyze the current situation and perspectives of the local tourism sector in the different regions after its reopening on the 1st. July, the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR) will organize the event ” Reopening of Tourism: Experience in the different poles of the country.”

The virtual session, to be held on August 18 starting at 6:00 PM, will feature the participation of Francesca Rainieri, Senior Administrative Vice President of Grupo Puntacana; Andrés Marranzini, Executive Vice President of Asonahores; Julio Heinsen, Member of the Board of Directors of ET Heinsen SA; and José Natalio Redondo, vice president of the Puerto Plata Tourism Cluster and president of the North Coast Hotel Association.

The panel, which will be moderated by Juan Velázquez, vice president and administrator of Costasur, will address the experiences, opportunities for improvements in the different poles of the country after the reopening of tourism, specifically regarding the evaluation of generic protocols implemented and their economic impact on the provinces.

Likewise, it will reflect on the experience after the application of the protocols in airports and airlines and the impact on the supply chain of the tourism industry in the different poles of the country.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dominican tourism experienced a 100-day shutdown of operations, ordered by the government. Its reopening as of July 1 implied the implementation of strict sanitary protocols to avoid contagions and it was established that in July the occupancy of rooms in hotels would not exceed 30%. The figure would increase in August and December to 50 and 75 percent.

According to official statistics, the tourism industry contributes 8% of the Gross Domestic Product and generates 26% of the income in dollars that the country receives.

Those interested in participating in the virtual event ” Reopening of Tourism: Experience in the different poles of the country” should contact 809.332.7243 or write an email to events@amcham.org.do . It will cost RD $ 400 for AMCHAMDR members and RD $ 700 for non-members.

About the speakers

Francesca Rainieri is a renowned entrepreneur in the tourism industry in the Dominican Republic. She joined Grupo Puntacana in 2001 as Strategic Planning Manager and then became Director of Hospitality in 2004. She currently holds the position of Senior Administrative Vice President at Grupo Puntacana and is secretary of the Board of Directors of AMCHAMDR. Rainieri obtained her Bachelor of Science with a double degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship and a minor in Economics from Babson College, USA.

Andrés Marranzini graduated with a doctorate in law from the Universidad Iberoamericana and later did a master’s degree in Corporate Law and postgraduate studies in finance, both from New York University .

He currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the Association of Hotels and Tourism (ASONAHORES), the main union of the private tourism sector. In addition, Marranzini is a partner of the Oficina Marranzini law firm, where he specializes in corporate and environmental law, with an emphasis on contracts, tax planning and the development of real estate and tourism projects.

Within his professional practice he has been a member of boards of directors of companies in the financial and technology sectors. Representing the private sector, he occupies seats in the Institute of Professional Technical Training (INFOTEP) and the Dominican Institute for Prevention and Protection of Occupational Risks (IDOPPRIL). In the public sector, he has been Vice Minister of Labor, Administrative Vice Minister of the Presidency and legal consultant to the Ministry of the Environment.

Julio Heinsen Morales serves as Financial Director and Member of the Board of Directors of ET Heinsen SA, a company with more than 90 years in the market, specialist in solutions for maritime, air and land transport.

He graduated as an Industrial Engineer from the University of Miami and completed specializations in Maritime Operations and Management in Hamburg, Germany, and Air Operations and Dispatch at Lufthansa. He is president of the Air Lines Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Air and Marine Cargo Agents.

José Natalio Redondo Galán is a Dominican doctor who graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), specialized in Critical Medicine and Cardiology, at the National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez. He serves as vice president of the Puerto Plata Tourism Cluster and president of the North Coast Hotel Association.

In his more than 35 years of professional hospital practice, he has managed the Bournigal Medical Center Hospital in Puerto Plata. Concomitantly, he became very actively involved in the practice of Tourism Medicine, being recognized in 2017 as a “Pioneer of the development of Health Tourism” by the Dominican Association of Health Tourism. In 2002, it created the GRUPO RESCUE National Medical Services Network, which currently has a portfolio of services that includes the affiliation of eight Private Hospitals, four Urgent Care Clinics and more than 20 Primary Emergency Care Clinics in hotels in the country.

While Juan Velázquez, who will act as moderator of the event, serves as vice president and administrator of Costasur, a company that leads the development of the Casa de Campo land. He graduated from Business Administration with a concentration in finance and business from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to his work at Costasur, he had held management positions at Esso Standard Oil Limited Corporation of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico; as well as headed the commercial, administrative and technological restructuring of Grupo Ámbar. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of AMCHAMDR.

About the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR)

The American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR for its acronym in English) is a non-profit association, legally incorporated on November 8, 1923, which fosters a healthy investment climate based on access to knowledge, opportunities and a culture of best practices for the socio-economic and professional development of its partners. AMCHAMDR is affiliated with the US Chamber of Commerce and is a founding member of the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA).

AMCHAMDR works an agenda designed to connect and represent its partners in new trends in the world of business, markets and indicators both nationally and internationally. Its catalog of services is designed to add value to its members, offering concrete solutions and identifying opportunities for business and professional growth.