The country agrees with the embassy to guarantee the safety of tourists

Santo Domingo—Following the growth experienced by the tourism sector in the country, given the reports of public order, the minister of the institution, David Collado, said that tourism security had been prioritized through an agreement with the U.S. Embassy in the country.

The agreement was signed yesterday by the Ministry of Tourism, the U.S. Embassy in the country, the Tourist Police (Politur), and the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores).

As a priority, the memorandum cites the safety of tourists and the training of hotel personnel.

The memorandum formalizes the guarantee of safety for U.S. tourists visiting the country. In addition to creating protocols for eventualities involving foreigners and exchange of information between the two countries, since last year, U.S. foreigners accounted for 47%, contributing a growth of 22%.

APPLICATION
Collado informed that they will also deliver tablets so that through an application members of Politur can locate tourists in case of any eventuality in tourist destinations. He also said that security cameras will be installed in the centers with the highest concentration of foreigners. The minister indicated that the country has consolidated its frank growth because they have taken the necessary measures at the right time “to be an example at world level” and that no minister in the history of the country had contributed so much to the tourist police in such a short period of time.

AIRBNB
“For me as Minister of Tourism, the safety of tourists is non-negotiable and this is translated into practice,” he reaffirmed. And when approached by this media to confirm how the Airbnb regulation process is going, which in January he assured that they would be launching this month, he did not comment on the matter. Meanwhile, the president of Asonahores, David Llibre said in relation to the same issue that the month has not yet ended, and that they are working hand in hand with the minister so that what was promised is realized.

“The month is not over. The Ministry of Tourism gave us some indications of how the regularization would be, we have been looking at it and it is something that from our sector we have always been advocates for it to be regulated”, he asserted. He added that the intention is to ensure that when the document comes out, all the clear limits are propitiated and established, because in the end this type of tourism exists and will continue to exist. “The regulation will only strengthen and ensure tourism safety in our country,” Llibre pointed out.

LEARN MORE
CONSUL
The consul of the United States in the country, Greg Segas emphasized with respect to tourism security that, in the Caribbean, there is no collaboration as broad, complex and rich in content as the one that exists between the two territories.

He said that their responsibility is to keep their citizens safe, therefore he emphasized that the training program for hotel personnel offers tools, since workers are the first point of contact for tourists who experience a crisis; from the loss of their passport, to being arrested or suffering a life-threatening accident.