Leading Dominican hospitality group Hodelpa Hospitality has formally reaffirmed its longstanding strategic partnership with the Dominican Association of Tourism Journalists (Adompretur) during a high-profile gathering that united top tourism industry executives, practicing journalists, and senior media professionals. The event, centered on deepening cross-sector collaboration and driving innovation in tourism-focused communication, drew a diverse cohort of attendees including Hodelpa’s leadership team, Adompretur’s national governing board, members of Adompretur’s regional Santiago chapter, and representatives from major Dominican media outlets.
In her remarks to attendees, Jessica Aja, Executive Vice President of Hodelpa Hospitality, emphasized that the company’s core strategic vision remains centered on building partnerships that drive sustainable, inclusive growth for the Dominican Republic’s flagship tourism sector. “Meaningful tourism development is never the work of a single entity – it is forged through intentional collaboration between stakeholders across every part of the industry,” Aja stated. “We are incredibly proud to deepen our ties with Adompretur, an organization that has elevated Dominican tourism globally through rigorous, responsible journalism for more than 30 years.”
Sarah Hernández, President of Adompretur, framed the renewed alliance as a critical foundation for advancing ongoing initiatives designed to strengthen the quality of tourism journalism and communication across all regions of the Dominican Republic. Junior McDougal, Secretary General of Adompretur’s Santiago chapter, also took part in the formal reaffirmation of the partnership agreement.
Beyond the partnership announcement, the event included a educational conference titled “Artificial Intelligence Applied to Journalism: New Tools to Tell Better Stories,” led by María del Mar García, co-founder of global AI ethics startup Equality AI. During the interactive session, García walked attendees through a range of practical, accessible AI tools designed to streamline newsroom workflows, improve narrative depth, and help journalists deliver more engaging, accurate tourism coverage to audiences both domestically and internationally. Participants also discussed best practices for responsible AI integration in journalistic work, addressing concerns around accuracy and editorial independence.
Hodelpa Hospitality representatives noted that the full event, from the partnership renewal to the AI training session, aligns with the company’s long-term commitment to fostering professional development, cross-industry collaboration, and innovative practice to support the continued expansion and success of the Dominican Republic’s tourism sector, which accounts for more than 15% of the country’s gross domestic product and supports hundreds of thousands of local jobs.