Bahia Principe develops strategy to promote biodiversity in Samaná

The chain will promote the creation of more sustainable tourism products that will improve its competitiveness in the long term and will collaborate with the Ministries of Education, Environment and Natural Resources and with municipalities in the region

Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts, the leading brand in all-inclusive resorts with properties in the Caribbean and Spain, will launch, starting next year, an environmental strategy that will position Samaná (Dominican Republic) as an internationally recognized ecological destination, through agreements with various regional and national actors and the develoPPP program, promoted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and implemented in Samaná by the Piñero Group and the German Development Cooperation, GIZ.

It is expected that this proposal will be ratified by means of a signature in January of 2020, for its implementation, with the objective of promoting Samaná as a biodiverse, clean and sustainable destination, differentiated by its natural wealth. In parallel, it will improve the competitiveness of the four hotels in the region (Grand Bahia Principe El Portillo, Gran Bahia Principe Cayacoa, Luxury Bahia Principe Samana and Luxury Bahia Principe Cayo Levantado), all of them with a five star rating and that add more of 1,100 rooms, through initiatives that promote the natural and cultural capital of the region.

Pablo del Toro, Responsible for Environmental Management of Piñero Group, assures that “this initiative in Samaná responds to the Group’s commitment to establish strategic alliances for the improvement of biodiversity in the destinations where it operates. Thanks to the support of the Government of Germany and the GIZ, we can develop this important project for the local population and the rich biodiversity of the area. We have tried to be strategic by proposing a project that responds to the main environmental needs that exist, as in the case of waste management, involving local stakeholders to be the engine of change that allows the differentiation and positioning of the destination , as a biodiverse, clean and sustainable place “.

The strategy of promotion and promotion of biodiversity in Samaná will be supported through agreements with institutions and administrations. In this way, the collaboration with the Ministries of Education and the Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic is proposed. With them, education and awareness programs on biodiversity will be implemented in both the Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts establishments and the public schools of Samaná developed for this project.

In addition, there will be the Ministry of Environment and the Center for the Conservation and Ecodevelopment of the Bay of Samaná and its surroundings (CEBSE) to carry out pilot experiences in rehabilitation and restoration of basins, monitoring of the biodiversity of the environment and development of activities sustainable in areas with high natural wealth.

“We hope that more companies invest in biodiversity taking into account their importance in making strategic decisions. We are pleased that the Piñero Group has taken the decision to transform Samaná towards a conscious destination on the conservation and sustainable use of natural capital, involving actors from multiple sectors to ensure the sustainability of the project, “said Svenja Paulino, director of the program” Biodiversity and Business”.

Finally, the initiative also includes a public-private partnership for the adequate management of waste, which will be carried out in three municipalities of Samaná (with pilot experience in one of them), in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Local NGOs and companies specialized in recycling work.