Dominican Republic Made a Splash in ITB 2005

The Dominican delegation to the Tourism International Marketplace in Berlin, headed by Tourism Secretary Felix Jimenez, showed off the country´s travel offers in a 3,230-square-foot stand with the primary goal of luring the German market.

As many as 233,000 German vacationers trekked to the Dominican Republic last year, according to stats revealed this week by the Caribbean nation´s Central Bank. Authorities there expect to grab a much larger number of visitors from that European outbound market.

Two dozen companies, including tour operators and hotels, were invited to the Dominican Night and Gala Dinner at the Palace Berlin Hotel.

In a press conference, Mr. Jimenez spelled out his country´s future tourist plans and the progress the nation has made in the development of the local leisure industry.

The Dominican delegation was also made up of Susana Rosa, chief of promotion at SECTOR; Enrique De Marchena Kaluche, president of the National Hotel & Restaurant Association, and reigning Miss Universe Claudia Cruz.

The entourage was also formed by Lourdes Esperanza Lightgow, a chef specialized in Dominican cuisine; Luis Rafael Lopez, a tobacco harvester from the Leon Jimenez Group, and musician Victor Taveras, among other boldface names.