Dominican Republic announces reactivation of the tourism industry from July 1

The Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic (MITUR) has announced that the country will be ready to receive international visitors from July 1.

This is in line with the estimated date for the start of Phase four of the de-escalation process of the measures announced by the High-Level Commission for the Prevention and Control of Coronavirus.

Francisco Javier Garc?a, minister of tourism, said: "The Dominican tourism industry is ready to start receiving visitors from July 1 in a responsible manner and complying with the recommendations of national and international organizations on hygiene, disinfection and social distancing.?

"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 both consumers and trade who are looking to capitalise on this re-opening and plan ahead the new Dominican Republic Travel Resource Centre, has been launched. The resource is an initiative designed to deliver accurate, up to date information to future visitors and answer frequently asked travel questions. The platform allows visitors to listen to COVID-19 industry updates from trusted sources and provides live chat assistance for any questions that they might have.

While quarantine is still in place for UK residents the UK travel industry is lobbying government for the introduction of air-bridges between destinations with low case numbers of COVID-19. Ministers have been sent a list of 45 countries to prioritise for quarantine-free air bridges. The list, agreed by airlines including British Airways, includes the Dominican Republic. Airlines are lobbying for the first air bridges to be established by the end of June at the latest, raising new hopes for the summer holiday abroad.