MITUR bets on Jarabacoa, Asonahores gathers 300 companies, Casa de Campo, Collado in Chicago and training
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Dominican tourism today pivots on three certainties: the interior is no longer just a complement to sun and sand, trade fairs are heading for record participation, and technical training is leveling up with international allies.
While Punta CanaPunta CanaThe main tourism hub of the Dominican Republic, on the eastern tip, famous for white-sand beaches, all-inclusive resorts and its own international airport. and BávaroBávaroA beach area next to Punta Cana with one of the Caribbean's largest hotel clusters and a long white-sand shoreline. remain the arrival engines, the Ministry of Tourism is putting chips on the table for JarabacoaJarabacoaA mountain town in the centre of the country, capital of ecotourism and adventure sports, with a cool climate, rivers and waterfalls like Jimenoa and Baiguate., Asonahores is preparing its biggest commercial expo yet, and La Romana is reinforcing its hotel talent pipeline. This is a week where the Dominican tourism map widens: we step beyond the coastline.
Jarabacoa gets the official push from MITUR to become the country's first reference eco-tourism destination. The Ministry of Tourism, through its promotion directorate, has announced direct support for a campaign to position the area, with a special focus on the Festival of Flowers 2026, to be held in the coming months. The initiative aims to attract a longer-stay, higher-spending traveler interested in nature, adventure, and rural culture.
My take: If MITUR manages to make the Flower Festival not just a weekend event but a year-round destination claim, Jarabacoa can become the first real eco-tourism benchmark in the Dominican Republic. And that opens a door to a traveler profile that today we lose to Central America.
Source: MITUR supports Jarabacoa promotion and Jarabacoa Flower Festival 2026
Asonahores confirms its 2026 Trade Expo will bring together over 300 companies, surpassing all previous editions. The fair, which is consolidating as the main showcase for Dominican tourism offerings to international buyers, will occupy the Punta Cana Convention Center on October 15 and 16. The increase in exhibitors reflects the sector's confidence in market stability and investment appetite, with new hotel brands seeking a foothold in the country.
Source: Over 300 companies at Asonahores 2026 trade expo
Minister Collado promotes Dominican Republic to travel agents and tour operators in Illinois. During an event in Chicago, the tourism minister presented the country's offerings, with special emphasis on new hotels in Punta Cana, the growth of SamanáSamanáA north-eastern peninsula known for humpback whale watching, unspoiled beaches like Rincón and waterfalls such as El Limón., and air connections from the Midwest. The move is tactical: Illinois is a high-spending source market, with direct American Airlines and United flights from Chicago O'Hare to Punta Cana, and connectivity has grown 22% in the last year.
Source: Collado promotes RD in Illinois
Casa de Campo and UniRomana University join forces to boost young talent in La Romana. The resort, flagship of the chain, has signed a scholarship and internship agreement with UniRomana to train students in hospitality and tourism. Students will rotate through Food & Beverage, Housekeeping, Front Desk, and Nautical Activities departments. The program covers 100% of tuition for 20 students per year.
Source: Casa de Campo and UniRomana boost young talent
The collaboration between MIDE, MITUR, and UN Tourism focuses on technical training in tourism for military and police personnel. This alliance, part of the Armed Forces vocational schools program, will train active personnel and veterans in areas like basic hotel management, tourist service, and destination security. The idea is that those who have served in tourist zones (Samaná, Puerto PlataPuerto PlataA north-coast city and province, birthplace of Dominican tourism, home to the cable car up Mount Isabel de Torres, Victorian architecture and the Amber Cove cruise port., La Romana) can retrain professionally into the tourism industry.
Source: Defense Ministry, MITUR, and UN Tourism collaborate to strengthen tourism education
The signals this week are clear: the Dominican tourism sector is not only growing in volume, but is starting to diversify in product (eco-tourism), talent (university agreements and military retraining), and geographic reach of promotion (Chicago). Anyone looking only at Punta Cana is missing the full picture. The country is no longer sold just as a resort with a beach: it sells as a complete tourism ecosystem, and that is what will shield us from any cyclical swings.
The Dominican tourism-sector companies we follow, plus the ones surfacing in today's news.
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The brief Dominican travel professionals read every morning.