Local and international actors join forces to address sustainable development in tourism in the Dominican Republic

5 December 2003, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - A 'Garbage free' zone, improved management of the marine excursions to Isla Saona in Parque del Este, a process for greater community involvement and the support by tour operators of a promotional program for the hoteliers in Bayahibe that implement social and environmental programs are the four actions that the participants to the Sustainable Tourism Round Table, held in Punta Cana Resort and Club, 3-4 December 2003, have committed to accomplish by the end of 2004.

Participants also agreed on the essential need to ensure that all players involved directly and indirectly in tourism continue to communicate and collaborate. Hence they proposed the creation of a Coordinating Body that should include the Bayahibe-La Romana Hotel Association, the Del Este Hotels Association, the Association of Excursions and Local Tour Operators, the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation, Bavaro Reef Fund, Ecoparques, the office of the Archbishop of La Altagracia, and the Tour Operators' Initiative. The Coordinating Body will be led jointly by the Bayahibe Hotel Association and the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation, and will be also responsible for overseeing the timely implementation of the proposed actions.

The Round Table was convened by the United Nations-backed Tour Operators' Initiative, an international network of tour operators, committed to integrate environmental, social and economic principles in their business practices and support sustainable development in the destinations where they operate, in collaboration with the Bayahibe-La Romana Hotel Association and the Punta Cana Group. The Round Table was also made possible thanks to the financial and technical contribution of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). A key role was also played by Conservation International's Center for Environmental Leadership in Business.

Participants included international tour operators members of the Tour Operators' Initiative such as Aurinkomatkat-Suntours, Hotelplan, LTU Turistik, Viaggi del Ventaglio, FreeWay Adventures and World of TUI, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the World Tourism Organization, and UNESCO, hotel operators, including top management from Punta Cana Resort and Club, Coral Resorts, Natura Park, Viva Resorts and Hotel Gran Dominicus, and the hotel associations, representatives of community groups and non governmental environmental organizations including Association of Vendors in Cabeza de Toro, the office of the Archbishop of La Altagracia and the Association of OPERTUR, Bavaro Reef Fund, the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation, Conservation International, and Ecoparques. Participants also welcomed the contribution and support expressed by the Sub Secretary of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, Mrs Sonia Jimenez.

The Chairman of the Tour Operators' Initiative, Mr Tom Selanniemi of Aurinkomatkat-Suntours, noted in its opening remarks, that visitor surveys indicate a direct correlation between an environmental quality and customer satisfaction. He also stated that the areas of greatest concern from their perspective included water and energy conservation, waste management, the poor condition of local infrastructure, the level of country wide poverty, lack of appreciation of protected areas and the sexual exploitation of children. Convinced that these issues and many others also are on the agenda of the people living and working in tourism in the Punta Cana/Bavaro and Bayahibe destinations, he added, the TOI convene such round table to explore possibilities of joining forces and take actions together.

Antonio Ramis, General Manager of Punta Cana Resort and Club, stated that "the accommodation sector has long since realized that a quality tourism product does not depend solely upon a well kept hotel facility, but a clean environment and gregarious host community as well commitment." Punta Cana Resort and Club has been a pioneer in the promotion of environmental and socially responsible tourism since its inception in the 1970s. The Resort champions a 2,000 hectare Nature Reserve, an internationally acclaimed Biodiversity and Sustainability Research Center and a primary school for 250 local children.

Primary concerns highlighted by the hoteliers included the explosion of temporary worker's camps created by the need for construction workers, the lack of implementation of a common vision through a master plan for the region and the lack of environmental infrastructure such as water distribution and solid and liquid waste water collection systems and adequate roads. Excursion providers expressed concern in regards to the proliferation of trash in the area, and especially on the beaches, and the poor condition of local roads, while civil society representatives expressed great concern for the growth of prostitution, drug sales, the lack of integration of local communities into the tourism product, and the endangerment of species in via of extinction due to habitat loss, souvenir trading and increased demand for seafood.

Unanimous concern was also expressed about the potential threats that the Parque Del Este, one of the most important terrestrial and marine parks in the Caribbean and the only remnant of primary forest in the region, is facing to tourism development. All participants strongly supported a call for stronger enforcement of the protection status of the East National Park as well all the other Natural Reserves of the Dominican Republic. A Declaration signed by the participants will be send to UNESCO and different institutions, locally and internationally.

After two days of in depth discussions, the participants elected to focus on four priority areas, creating innovative pilot projects to progress action, with the understanding that these are only the beginning of a long term partnership that would involved all players and aim at working together on improving the sustainability of the region.

For more information on the Round Table and on the Tour Operators' Initiative please contact:

Giulia Carbone Tel: + 33 1 44 37 14 68 and Fax : + 33 1 44 37 14 74

Email: gcarbone@unep.fr

Also visit http://www.toinitiative.org