June 6, 2022
He highlights economic recovery; says Ceapi in DR is a window of opportunity for investment in the country.
Punta Cana.- Businessman Felipe Vicini, INICIA managing partner, highlighted the recovery of tourism in the Dominican Republic, which according to figures released this week by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, reached record highs with the arrival of almost three million visitors in the first five months of the year.
Felipe Vicini chaired the Fifth Edition of the Congress of the Business Alliance Council for Ibero-America, held for the first time outside of Spain, on June 1 and 2.
Interviewed by Moisés González of despertarnacional.com.do, Vicini said that the Dominican government was able to leverage the global uncertainty generated by the pandemic and with a good strategy in place it managed to recover the sector in record time.
“Let me tell you that [tourism] has rebounded incredibly; obviously, as a result of the work of all the tourism stakeholders, the government, the Ministry, the minister. We have witnessed this; I think I saw a statement yesterday that indicated that numbers continue to go up due to the resilience of tourism,” Vicini affirmed.
“Opportunities in times of uncertainty is the motto of this 5th Congress. In my opinion, a year and a half or two ago there was great uncertainty here and obviously the government knew how to leverage it and said ‘we are open, come here’, and so it was. It took time, it took months and here we are,” said the INICIA managing partner.”
Boosting Sports Tourism
The chairman of Creando Sueños Olímpicos (CRESO) also said that the Dominican Republic has everything it needs to become a benchmark in sports tourism.
“Incredibly, just before the Tokyo games, four Olympic qualifying tournaments were held in this country in various disciplines; in fact, one of them was held here in Punta Cana, I think it was judo, the Judo Pan American Qualification Tournament. There is great potential; I think we have to learn how to crow about it, to speak about it. Here we have a great beach on the north coast that is a kitesurfing mecca. You might know that kitesurfing and surfing are already Olympic sports, so we have to take advantage of that, we have to take advantage of that. Here we have great beaches to really do sports like beach volleyball. We can hold tournaments here, in Punta Cana, and I hope that our authorities become aware of that and that there is cooperation between the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Tourism to develop a plan to attract sports tourism.”
The impact that CEAPI will have on the DR
The businessman highlighted the impact on the country of the Fifth Edition of the Congress of the Business Alliance Council for Ibero-America (CEAPI), which he chaired, indicating that this event provides the country with a window of opportunities.
“What we heard yesterday, that the Dominican economy is booming, that this is a safe destination for investment, is very important because here, as you know, we have the most important businessmen of Spain and Ibero-America, so it is important that it is done here as it is being done, because that provides an opportunity for investments in the Dominican Republic because I think it is important that all Spanish and Ibero-American businessmen know the Dominican Republic and that is very important for us.”
During his participation in the Congress, Felipe Vicini, managing partner of INICIA, which is focused on asset management in the audiovisual field during a discussion on the current situation and the direction of the Ibero-American audiovisual industry within the framework of the 5th CEAPI Congress, held in Punta Cana.
Felipe emphasized that “the local industry was very informal and empirical; I started with the production of small documentaries and now we have large productions thanks to training agreements, new legislation, the creation of protocols and other initiatives. The greatest value we have here are the people, the landscapes (beaches, mountains, desert or jungle) and, in addition, here we were able to build a 75mx75m tank that makes it possible to shoot in the sea and is the only pond in the Caribbean, Central and South America. That makes us different and that is why we can compete.
Felipe Vicini added “last year we had frightening numbers, but we decided to move forward and create a safety protocol approved by the Motion Picture Association of America and bet on training. When the country opened up in August 2020, we were the first destination to open for filming, which led to increased hotel occupancy, positively impacting tourism and employability on the island. Indeed, 2021 was a boom year during which three major productions took place.”
Felipe Vicini, who chaired the 5th CEAPI Congress, congratulated journalist Moisés González Peña for the coverage he provided to this edition of Ceapi through Despertar Nacional, with reports and interviews to businessmen, ambassadors and leaders of business families from Ibero-America who gathered in Punta Cana.
CEAPI in DR
President Luis Abinader proposed to businessmen and CEOs of leading companies in Ibero-America to focus on the challenges and opportunities facing the region in the era of the new economy, so that their voice can be heard and vindicated worldwide.
For the Minister of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs, Víctor -Ito- Bisonó, the hosting of the 5th CEAPI Ibero-American Congress in the Dominican Republic represents an opportunity to send a strong message about the confidence in the country and the leadership headed by President Luis Abinader.
Núria Vilanova, president of CEAPI, emphasized that the Dominican Republic, host of the Congress, is gaining a prominent position in the Ibero-American framework as an undisputed actor for development, innovation and growth in the region.
Source: http://www.eljaya.com
