27/08/2020
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Please take a few minutes to read the post below, we do not just want you back, we need you back!
Starting at the end of September, all tourists visiting the Dominican Republic will be covered with a temporary comprehensive health and travel insurance plan. The medical and trip protection insurance plan for visitors will cover hospitalization for coronavirus in the tourism destinations in the country, extended hotel stays, and airline ticket changes.
Only random testing will be carried out at airports. Visitors will not be required to bring test results to travel here. The random rapid breathalyzer testing is set to start at the end of September. Once this measure is in place, the current requirement that travelers come with a negative PCR Covid-19 test or be subject to random antibody blood test at the airports will be eliminated.
During the presentation of the Responsible Tourism Recovery Plan to Covid-19 at the Presidential Palace on 25 August 2020, President Luis Abinader gave highlights of the measures being taken by the new government in the wake of the current pandemic and to ensure that the country is a safe travel destination and moves towards the new normalcy.
“Our goal is to minimize the effects of the pandemic and promote a responsible recovery that prioritizes health, maximizes the potential for job creation and economic growth, and promotes the continued sustainable development of the sector,” said the President.
Abinader said that several resorts have prepared in-house medical care facilities for first care to guests. Tourists would be given preferential treatment for timely testing in nearby labs. Embassies will receive timely information on any citizen that falls ill.
Mask wearing and keeping physical distance are mandatory during each visitor’s stay, but feel free to relax on the beach without one.
Abinader stressed the strategic importance of tourism as for the country. Tourism attracts foreign investments, creates jobs, and is a vital source of hard currency. He said for every job that has been lost in a hotel, five others have been lost.
The Abinader administration has put together a package estimated to cost US$28 million for travel insurance and financial support to airlines so these maintain their frequencies to the country. Abinader said the funds were included in the complementary budget sent to Congress to cover government spending through the end of the year. The tourism plan is part of the overall government effort for better governance, management of the virus, communication, and economic support.
Tourism Minister David Collado said that the actions have been harmonized with representatives of the private sector through the National Hotel & Tourism Association (Asonahores) or in-person meetings with key international hotel executives. Collado spoke of his recent meetings with top officials of AmResorts in the USA and Melia, Iberostar and Grupo Piñero in Spain.
The new efforts fall under the Tourism Cabinet led by the President of the Republic himself. The Minister of Tourism is the executive director of the Tourism Cabinet, responsible for the recovery of tourism. A new national inter-institutional initiative includes representatives of the health, labor, public works and tourism ministries, and the tax agency, working with the National Hotel & Tourism Association (Asonahores) representing the private sector. The Tourism Cabinet will continuously monitor the impact and effectiveness of each action implemented, adjusting as necessary.
The tourism recovery plan includes:
Temporary travel assistance plan that will include emergency coverage, telemedicine services, lodging for prolonged stays, and flight change costs in the event of a Covid-19 infection. This insurance will be provided at no cost to the visitor until December 2020, covered 100% by the Dominican government. It will go into effect by the end of September.
New internationally certified health protocols that will cover the entire industry, including restaurants and bars. The protocols are in the process of certification by both Safe Travels of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and Bureau Veritas, both world leaders in industry certification.
Continuing support of efforts to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
