WTCF Punta Cana Investment B2B Matching 2019 held in Punta Cana

On April 8, 2019, the "WTCF Punta Cana Investment B2B Matching 2019", co-hosted by the WTCF and its member city Punta Cana, was opened at the Sanctuary Cap Cana Conference Center by AlSol. This conference was the first time for WTCF to hold a tourism conference in Dominica and it was also the first event after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Dominican Republic and the People's Republic of China. The conference discussed in-depth issues related to tourism cooperation between Chinese cities and Dominica, promoted deep cooperation between China and Dominica tourism, and injected new vitality into world tourism development. About 100 people including tourism practitioners from the provinces of Dominica, and representatives from Chinese tourism companies, investment fund managers, and well-known media attended the conference.

WTCF Punta Cana Investment B2B Matching 2019 held on April 8

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Ramón Ramirez, Mayor of Punta Cana, gave a welcome speech and said: "We hope to strengthen the tourism industry's links through the WTCF Punta Cana Investment B2B Matching. Punta Cana will provide assistance and support for WTCF as always and is willing to be the bridge between the China-Dominica tourism industry."

Mr. Li Baochun, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of WTCF, delivered a speech at the conference

Mr. Li Baochun, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of WTCF, introduced the recent development of WTCF and stated that “Punta Cana is a famous tourist city in the world. WTCF hopes that through this opportunity, top Chinese tourism enterprises, investment company, and the media can be introduced to Dominica and promote the development of China-Dominica tourism cooperation at a higher level and achieve win-win cooperation."

Venue of the WTCF Punta Cana Investment B2B Matching

Besides, Mr. Pablo Espinal, the Chairman of the Tourism Department of the Dominican Republic and Ms. Maribel Villalona, Director of Planning and Development of Dominica, made remarks: “The Chinese travel industry representatives who came with WTCF have significant meaning to the tourism development of Dominica.” Mr. Pablo Espinal expressed, “Chinaman of the Touris development in recent years is remarkable, especially it’s outbound tourism. Dominica as a tourist country must pay attention to the Chinese market.”

The beautiful natural scenery in Punta Cana is unforgettable

When interviewed by the Chinese media after the opening ceremony, Mr. Pablo Espinal said that Punta Cana is the first city in Dominica to rely entirely on tourism development and now has a mature tourism service system. The number of tourist arrivals amount to 40 times the permanent population of the city. Dominica is confident in the development of the Chinese market, and plans to establish tourism offices in three major cities in China in the future. He also noticed the issue concerning Dominica’s visa regulation and procedure, and said that the Dominican Tourism Bureau is working with the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs on simplifying the procedures for Chinese citizens applying for visas. They will also actively discuss with airline companies the topic of establishing direct flights between China and Dominica and is convinced that direct flights between the two countries will be opened in the future. It is reported that Dominica has a very complete European and American airline route, which can directly allow access from major European and American portals and hub cities, such as New York, London, Zurich, Miami, Mexico City and Panama City.

Mayor of Punta Cana said: “Smiles are the best tourism resources of Punta Cana”

Mr. Ramirez said in a joint interview with the Chinese media, "Punta Cana is a paradise in the entire Caribbean; it has not only high quality beaches and oceans, but also many shopping malls and fine restaurants that meet the needs of Chinese tourists. The original eco-tourism is also the focus of tourism development in Punta Cana in recent years.” Mr. Ramirez also said that the best tourism resources in Dominica and Punta Cana are the hospitable temperament of the nation and friendly smiles everywhere.

Since March 2017, WTCF has held regional conferences in Penang, Malaysia; Astana, Kazakhstan; Casablanca, Morocco; Bogota, Colombia; Seville, Spain, and other cities, and is committed to increasing the awareness of the regions where the conferences were held, especially the host cities, and boosting the development of the local tourism industry.