Madrid, Spain.- Today at FITUR, the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic unveiled the national sports tourism strategy and introduced the establishment of the Public-Private Sports Tourism Commission. Simultaneously, the creation of the Dominican House for the Paris 2024 Games was announced in collaboration with the organization Creating Olympic Dreams (Creso), as per a press release.
The national sports tourism strategy is set to receive a total investment of five million dollars, with the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic contributing three million dollars and Creso contributing two million dollars.
Minister of Tourism David Collado emphasized that tourism in the Dominican Republic transcends the conventional sun and sand experience. Within this diversification, the Ministry has identified sports tourism as a strategic axis for increasing the number of visitors and enhancing the international visibility of the Dominican Republic. Collado outlined the composition of the newly established commission, which includes Felipe Vicini, President of Creso; Luis Mejía, a member of the International Olympic Committee; José Monegro, President of the Santo Domingo 2026 Organizing Committee, and David Llibre, President of the Hotel and Tourism Association of the Dominican Republic.
This initiative marks the first time the country will have a Dominican House during the Olympic Games, serving as the epicenter of the national delegation and a space to showcase the country’s brand to visitors while celebrating the triumphs or medals achieved by Dominican athletes during the Olympic event.
During the event, the Minister of Tourism highlighted the Sports Tourism Commission’s objective, which is to identify the best opportunities for sporting events that can attract tourists to the country. Additionally, it aims to pinpoint international events in which the Dominican Republic must participate to strengthen the Country Brand with its athletes.
Felipe Vicini praised the initiative, expressing the belief that through sport, the country can improve and, with a robust sports tourism strategy, transform the Dominican Republic into the capital of sporting events in the Caribbean, attracting numerous visitors and positively impacting the development of athletes.
Luis Mejía and José Monegro, both positive about the initiative, considered it essential for the continued success of the Central American and Caribbean Games for Santo Domingo 2026.
The presentation of the Dominican House in Paris 2024 was attended by Olympic champions Félix Sánchez and Adeury Corniel, who received a warm reception from all visitors.