The Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic (MITUR) opened its borders for international tourists on July 1.
"The Dominican tourism industry is now open and receiving visitors in a responsible manner and complying with the recommendations of national and international organisations on hygiene, disinfection and social distancing," said the minister of tourism Francisco Javier Garc?a.
"From the moment visitors arrive in our country, they will find that the measures implemented guarantee a safe and pleasant experience so that they can enjoy the attractions that have made us the main tourist destination in the Caribbean," he added.
To help consumers and trade who are looking to capitalise, a new Dominican Republic Travel Resource Centre, has been launched. The resource is an initiative designed to deliver accurate, updated information to future visitors and answer frequently asked travel questions.
Additional protocols such as temperature checking of all on arrival will be implemented at the airport. If a passenger registers a temperature above 100.6 F degrees or presents any other symptoms, airport authorities will administer a rapid COVID-19 test and initiate the protocols for isolation and treatment of the case. In addition, airport terminals have established guidelines requiring social distancing as well as the mandatory use of face masks for employees and passengers. As part of immigration and customs forms provided by the airline or by Dominican authorities, passengers will be required to fill out and submit a Traveller's Health Affidavit. Through this form, passengers declare they have not felt any COVID-19 symptoms in the last 72 hours and provide contact details for the next 30 days.
The measures and regulations include but are not limited to hotels, bars, restaurants, maritime transport and aquatic sports and other tourism activities.
The entities in charge of supervising the compliance of these protocols are the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Public Health. In addition, in the case of hotels, a certification programme has been established through the creation of a quality council headed by the National Association of Hotels and Tourism (ASONAHORES) that will guarantee that establishments comply with the regulations, which will provide visitors with a sense of security and trust.
