Tourists consume US$550 million in Dominican farm products
SANTO DOMINGO. The executive vice-president of the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores), Arturo Villanueva, reported that in the nation's hotels some US$550 million in Dominican farm products are consumed, which represents 90% of what is consumed by the nation's hotels.
"We can say today with pride that 90% of the products that are consumed in the hotels are totally produced in the country, and this produces wealth in different regions," he said.
He stressed that they have eliminated intermediaries that used to exist and caused higher prices of the produce, which caused the loss of the contact between the consumer and the producer. He called on the farm producers to diversify their offer in order that they can continue generating this type of wealth.
"We are doing the same thing with the industrial sector, and we are going to do the same thing with the commercial sector," he revealed.
Villanueva said that Asonahores has focused its work on the regions of the country in order to contribute to the goal of the government to reach 10 million tourists in 10 years. He indicated that what will contribute to the achievement of this vision is that tourism diversifies, which would be for example, eco-tourism, environmental tourism, cultural tourism, conventions, health care tourism and others.
On the other hand, he said that in order to achieve that tourism is the "locomotive of the economy" they need a larger budget for the Ministry of Tourism, and that the ministry be assigned the resources which come in from the US$10 that are charged to each tourist.
He favored the placement of kiosks in the tourist poles and that they carry out a bigger job of promotion of the tourist attractions that exist such as is done by other countries, in which more advantage is taken of the natural resources.
"We can say today with pride that 90% of the products that are consumed in the hotels are totally produced in the country, and this produces wealth in different regions," he said.
He stressed that they have eliminated intermediaries that used to exist and caused higher prices of the produce, which caused the loss of the contact between the consumer and the producer. He called on the farm producers to diversify their offer in order that they can continue generating this type of wealth.
"We are doing the same thing with the industrial sector, and we are going to do the same thing with the commercial sector," he revealed.
Villanueva said that Asonahores has focused its work on the regions of the country in order to contribute to the goal of the government to reach 10 million tourists in 10 years. He indicated that what will contribute to the achievement of this vision is that tourism diversifies, which would be for example, eco-tourism, environmental tourism, cultural tourism, conventions, health care tourism and others.
On the other hand, he said that in order to achieve that tourism is the "locomotive of the economy" they need a larger budget for the Ministry of Tourism, and that the ministry be assigned the resources which come in from the US$10 that are charged to each tourist.
He favored the placement of kiosks in the tourist poles and that they carry out a bigger job of promotion of the tourist attractions that exist such as is done by other countries, in which more advantage is taken of the natural resources.