Banco Popular welcomes international delegations to the UNWTO

The opening cocktail of the Executive Council of this UN agency was organized.

Punta Cana – Banco Popular Dominicano organized the cocktail party to welcome the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), an international event that celebrates its 118th meeting in the country and brings together more than 100 delegations from the member countries of this specialized agency of the United Nations worldwide.

The cocktail that served as the formal opening of this event, on Tuesday, May 17, was attended by the Minister of Tourism, Mr. David Collado, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Roberto Álvarez, and the Secretary General of the UNWTO, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, who were received by Mr. Luis E. Espínola, Executive Vice President of Business and Investment Business and Mr. Juan Manuel Martín de Oliva, Vice President of the Tourism Business Area, as well as other executives of Popular.

This international forum, in which the advances and strategies for the future of tourism are analyzed, with a special focus on the sustainability of the industry and the sustainable development of the areas of impact of tourism investments. This is a fundamental aspect in countries where the healthy growth of tourism is reverted in progress and welfare for the communities, as is the case of the Dominican Republic.

Public-Private Collaboration in Dominican Tourism

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Espínola recalled how, in recent years, tourism has become the spearhead of the country’s economic and social development, thanks especially to public-private collaboration, which has been crucial for the Dominican Republic to continue to be the leading tourist destination in the insular Caribbean.

“This is, therefore, a true achievement of tourism management by government authorities, which, together with the initiatives of the private sector and foreign investors who have shown their confidence in our country, have transformed the Dominican Republic into a world-class tourist destination. This fact deserves our greatest recognition. And most importantly, we have achieved it together, for the benefit of the country and its people,” said the banking executive.

Main financier of tourism

As the main financier of the country’s tourism industry, he explained that Banco Popular began its support more than three decades ago, laying the foundations for the industry. Almost half of the tourism financing portfolio of all Dominican banks is granted by Banco Popular, exceeding US$209 million in 2022.

Mr. Espínola said that in the last 8 years the bank has approved financing to the sector for more than US$1.6 billion; it has facilitated the construction and renovation of more than 15,000 rooms, enabling 1,786 of them in 2022; it has contributed to the generation of direct and indirect jobs for more than 28,000 people, with 4,672 being created in 2022.

For his part, Mr. Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the UNWTO, underscored the historical support of Banco Popular to tourism, highlighting it as “the only bank in the world that has supported the tourism sector for more than 35 years.

On behalf of the Dominican government, the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Collado, highlighted the importance of the joint work between the public and private sectors in favor of tourism development and said that “this event has been sponsored and coordinated by Banco Popular Dominicano, and this has been the key to success in our country: public and private union, leaving aside all personal and particular interests”.

Meanwhile, the chancellor of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Roberto Álvarez, expressed his gratitude for the support given by the bank to the development of the sector and the realization of this activity.

This international meeting, which will feature panels and conferences, is an opportunity for the country to continue strengthening its position as a world-class resilient tourist destination and one of the leaders in receiving tourists throughout Latin America.

At the same time, it is a platform for the exchange of experiences and best practices among governments, tourism authorities and private entities to continue innovating in the tourism sector.

Outstanding attendance

Among those attending the cocktail party were important executives of hotel chains and entrepreneurs linked to tourism in the Dominican Republic, including Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, CEO of Meliá Hotels International; Paola Rainieri, Chief Marketing Officer of Grupo Puntacana; David Llibre and Andrés Marranzini, president and executive vice president, respectively, of the Dominican Association of Hotels and Tourism (ASONAHORES); Ernesto Veloz, president and executive vice president, respectively, of the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (ASONAHORES); David Llibre and Andrés Marranzini, president and executive vice-president, respectively, of the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (ASONAHORES); Ernesto Veloz, president of the Association of Hotels of the Eastern Zone (ASOLESTE); Biviana Riveiro, executive director of ProDominicana. Also, Rosana Morillo, Spain’s Secretary of State for Tourism.