In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Melany Rodríguez González, Director of the Santiago Convention Center and President of the Santiago Tourism Bureau.
What does it mean to you to be participating in the ICCA and SDQ MICE Santo Domingo event?
As the city of Santiago, Dominican Republic, we are here to participate in the framework of presenting this emerging destination in the world of tourism. It is a city with a history of more than 500 years, it is the first Santiago in America, with many advantages in the area of productive sectors, it is a pioneer in the free trade zone sector, and it is also the world capital of tobacco, where the largest amount in the world is produced and exported.
It is also the capital of rum. We have the oldest rum company in the country, with more than 100 years of history, and we also have a very varied cultural offer, a historic center with republican architecture. We have 14 museums that talk about various themes, and as for the venues and all the capacity to host large events, we have a Convention Center and unique spaces for various experiences, which is what the organizer of an event is looking for today.
There are also hotels. The truth is that our destination, Santiago, has been attracting the attention of international hotel chains, and this means that this year alone, two hotels from international chains have opened. Marriott is going to open another one this year, and Hilton will also open a new property next year, which will give us a hotel capacity of more than 3,000 rooms by 2025. Of the total, 1,500 are premium rooms from international chains and with a chain of local suppliers with a lot of experience in audiovisuals, stage sets, and food and beverages, which generates a very varied offer that adapts to each event.
We also have more than 200 restaurants, cafes and bars with signature cuisine and local Dominican and international cuisine. That is to say, we at Santiago Turístico Bureau, which is the first in the Dominican Republic, and through the city promotion platform that we have also created, Visit Santiago, work to position the city as a preferred destination for tourism for congresses, meetings, fairs and exhibitions, so we hope that the warmth of the people of Santiago can be made known to so many visitors from around the world.
How do you get to the city and what kind of experiences can you have there?
Santiago is a city with a strategic location in the Dominican Republic, it is located in the heart of the northern region, this allows us to connect by land by road to Santo Domingo in just 2 hours, and also to Puerto Plata in just 40 minutes. There, a multi-destination strategy is very feasible because the tourist who goes to Santiago can benefit from the beaches of Puerto Plata, Samaná, in the northern region, and we are also very close to Jarabacoa, with the mountains of Jarabacoa and Constanza, where you can do ecotourism, adventure tourism, rafting and enjoy the river.
We have the Cibao International Airport with more than 20 direct flights that connect us to Latin America, the United States and now Europe, because as part of the push we have made from our office, we have been able to achieve, together with the Dominican authorities, a direct flight from Madrid to Santiago twice a week. Obviously, the Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo International Airports are also close by, and they also connect us, but Santiago has more than 20 direct flights.
What is the connectivity capacity you have with Latin America?
We have several airlines that fly to Central America, for example Copa, which is with us, connects us with Chile and several Central American countries. And Arajet, which is a Dominican airline and fills us with pride, also connects us with Bogotá, Medellín, Argentina and various cities in the region.
What kind of events have you held this year?
The health and sports areas have developed. There is also a transcendental event that will take place this year, co-hosting the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup with Santo Domingo. Santiago has the capacity of fields to hold tournaments that have already been held in Central America and the Caribbean, as well as for practices in the framework of the FIFA World Cup. In addition, we are having events that have been organized locally with international reach, such as the Delfines del Naco Invitational, which is a swimming competition that attracts more than 600 national and international athletes. And there are also events organized locally that are increasingly attracting an international public, such as Expo Acero, a fair specialized in construction and metal structures that is attracting participants from Turkey, Mexico, and various locations around the world and that is now being held for the second year in the Dominican Republic, in Santiago.
What other events will you be performing at?
We are already part of the ICCA platform, so we will be present at the specialized MICE fairs held by the ICCA, which are opportunities to continue presenting our city and attracting events, but also, as it is an emerging destination, we will participate in Fitur and others such as Anato, which are of great interest to continue promoting this destination that has a lot to offer in the area of events and in the cultural, gastronomic framework and all that parallel offer that we can offer.