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  • Hodelpa Hospitality and Adompretur strengthen partnership to promote tourism journalism

    Hodelpa Hospitality and Adompretur strengthen partnership to promote tourism journalism

    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.

  • Health Ministry promotes 100% smoke-free environments to curb tobacco use

    Health Ministry promotes 100% smoke-free environments to curb tobacco use

    In the Dominican Republic’s capital of Santo Domingo, public health authorities are ramping up coordinated efforts with regional and global health bodies to cement policies that guarantee fully smoke-free public spaces and cut population exposure to harmful emissions from both traditional tobacco products and modern electronic cigarettes. This initiative draws on technical guidance and support from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) to turn policy goals into on-the-ground action.

    A core component of this collaboration is a targeted technical assistance mission held between July 27 and 30, which brings PAHO/WHO experts directly to the country to support the rollout of protective measures. These measures are designed to uphold the fundamental public right to clean, breathable air and extend the reach of smoke-free zones across every region of the Dominican Republic.

    To center youth engagement in the fight against tobacco harm, the Dominican Ministry of Public Health organized a high-profile national forum titled “No Filter: Youth, Tobacco and Reality”. The event created a collaborative space for youth advocacy organizations, domestic public agencies, and international public health partners to come together. Attendees discussed the well-documented health dangers linked to tobacco, nicotine, and vaping products, with the explicit goal of boosting public awareness and empowering young people to lead grassroots prevention efforts in their communities.

    Speaking at the forum, Dominican Health Minister Víctor Atallah stressed that young people deserve a central, leading role in shaping the country’s public health policies. He also issued a stark warning: even as overwhelming scientific evidence mounts about the severe health harms of tobacco and new nicotine-based products, industry actors continue to target adolescents with aggressive, widespread marketing campaigns.

    Public health officials have clarified the full scope of the 100% smoke-free policy: the rule applies to all enclosed public spaces, spanning primary and secondary schools, universities, medical and healthcare facilities, private and government offices, general workplaces, and all forms of public transportation. Crucially, officials emphasized that common workarounds such as segregated designated smoking areas or upgraded ventilation systems do not eliminate the health risks posed by secondhand tobacco smoke or electronic cigarette emissions, as residual toxins still circulate through shared air spaces.

    The Ministry of Public Health points to peer-reviewed international evidence from across Latin America to back the policy. Data shows that after implementing comprehensive smoke-free laws, nations including Guatemala, Chile, and Uruguay have recorded measurable drops in heart attack cases, cardiovascular disease mortality, and youth tobacco uptake. Importantly, the research also confirms that these strict policies have little to no negative economic impact on the tourism and hospitality sectors, countering a common industry argument against smoke-free regulations.

    Current local public health data puts the adult smoking rate in the Dominican Republic at roughly 10%. Among adolescents aged 13 to 15, an estimated 6 to 8% use either traditional tobacco cigarettes or electronic vaping products. On a global scale, the statistics underscore the urgency of this work: tobacco use is responsible for more than 8 million preventable deaths every year, with roughly 1.3 million of those deaths occurring among non-smokers exposed to harmful secondhand smoke.

  • Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez receives credentials of Honduras’ ambassador-designate

    Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez receives credentials of Honduras’ ambassador-designate

    A key diplomatic milestone unfolded this Wednesday at the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Santo Domingo, where Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez formally accepted the copies of credentials from Ernesto Alfonso Pumpo Aguilar, the newly appointed ambassador-designate of Honduras to the Caribbean nation.

    Following the credential presentation ceremony, Pumpo Aguilar, who brings extensive diplomatic experience from his prior posting as Honduras’ ambassador to Italy, held a closed-door working meeting with Álvarez. The two diplomats delved into a full bilateral agenda, covering areas of existing collaboration and exploring new opportunities for joint action. Both sides used the discussion to reaffirm their shared commitment to deepening the decades-long bonds of friendship, mutual cooperation and cross-cultural understanding that have defined relations between Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

    The gathering also included senior diplomatic leadership from the Dominican foreign ministry: Francisco Caraballo, Vice Minister of Bilateral Foreign Policy, and José Tomás Ares, Ambassador and director of the ministry’s Department of Relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, were in attendance to support the talks.

    Before Pumpo Aguilar can officially take up his role as Honduras’ ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Dominican Republic, one final formal step remains: he will present his original Letters of Credence to Dominican President Luis Abinader, completing the standard diplomatic accreditation process.

  • National Match Play Championship returns to Punta Espada with 72 top golfers

    National Match Play Championship returns to Punta Espada with 72 top golfers

    One of the Dominican Republic’s most highly anticipated and prestigious golf competitions is making its return to Punta Espada Golf Club, the iconic Caribbean greens located in Cap Cana. This year’s National Match Play Championship will bring together the island nation’s most skilled amateur and professional golfers for three days of intense, skill-driven competition.

    Organized under the banner of the Dominican Golf Federation (Fedogolf), the 2026 tournament welcomes a field of 72 qualified competitors. Golfers earned their spots in the championship by placing among the top eight performers in their respective divisions during the annual National Tour held this past June, ensuring only the top talent advances to the main event.

    The full competition schedule kicks off on Friday, July 31. Players will complete official registration starting at 11:00 a.m., with the opening round of match play teeing off at 1:00 p.m. The tournament moves into its knockout stages on Saturday: quarterfinal matches will be contested in the morning, with semifinal rounds kicking off later that afternoon. The competition will wrap up on Sunday, August 2, with the championship final match followed by a formal awards ceremony to celebrate the top finishers across all divisions.

    This year’s event features five distinct competitive divisions: professional, amateur, mid-amateur, senior, and super senior, creating opportunities for golfers of all ages and career statuses to compete for national honors, while highlighting the depth of top-tier golf talent cultivated across the Dominican Republic.

    Punta Espada Golf Club, which first opened to players in 2006, has solidified its reputation as one of the Caribbean’s leading golf destinations and a go-to host for the Dominican Republic’s biggest national golf tournaments. The venue’s world-class championship course has played a pivotal role in advancing golf development across the country, while also helping position the Dominican Republic as a top global sports tourism hotspot.

    Heading into this year’s tournament, all eyes will be on defending champion Juan José Guerra, who claimed the 2025 title after defeating 2024 champion Julio Santos. Guerra will be aiming to hold onto his crown and secure back-to-back national match play victories against the country’s best competitors.

  • Asomaprom calls on Abinader to use wholesalers for imported agricultural products

    Asomaprom calls on Abinader to use wholesalers for imported agricultural products

    Against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving Dominican food distribution landscape, the head of one of the nation’s leading wholesale food industry groups is pushing for a targeted policy change that he says will deliver tangible relief to household budgets.

    Ysmael Rodríguez, president of the Moca Association of Wholesale Provisioners (Asomaprom), used the closing ceremony of the 34th Expo Moca 2026 to deliver his appeal directly to Dominican President Luis Abinader. Rodríguez’s core proposal calls for requiring all imported agricultural goods to be routed exclusively through the country’s established wholesale sector. He argues that this streamlined logistics framework will cut unnecessary middleman markups, shrink overall costs for the national basic food basket, and guarantee that end consumers access affordable, fairly priced staple goods.

    During his remarks at the industry event, Rodríguez highlighted the central structural role that wholesale provisioners play in the Dominican food system, acting as a critical bridge between domestic and international agricultural producers and millions of households across the country. He also expressed appreciation for President Abinader’s recent public recognition of the wholesale sector during the head of state’s visit to the country’s Espaillat province.

    Beyond policy advocacy, Rodríguez celebrated a key milestone for the Dominican Republic’s national food security agenda: the country’s recent removal from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Hunger Map. Rodríguez framed this development as a landmark win for the entire Dominican agricultural ecosystem, noting that it reflects years of coordinated progress in expanding food access across the nation. Even with this achievement, he emphasized that sustained government investment and support for domestic food production will be critical to boosting the sector’s global competitiveness and locking in long-term food security gains.

    Rodríguez closed his remarks by hailing the 34th Expo Moca as the most successful edition in the event’s multi-decade history. The five-day industry and public exhibition drew record-breaking crowds, generated stronger overall sales than any prior Expo Moca, and featured participation from more than 50 local and regional exhibiting companies. Thousands of attendees took advantage of special discounted pricing on a wide range of food and consumer goods during the event, and Rodríguez extended formal gratitude to event sponsors, participating vendors, and visitors for their collective contributions to the fair’s success.

  • David Collado: Airbnb regulations will improve tourist safety, not raise taxes

    David Collado: Airbnb regulations will improve tourist safety, not raise taxes

    Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – Amid a historic boom in national tourism and rapidly rising demand for alternative vacation stays, the Dominican government has confirmed it will move forward with a landmark regulatory framework for short-term vacation rentals like Airbnb, centered on a new national property registry aimed at elevating safety standards for international visitors.

    Tourism Minister David Collado made the formal announcement, taking care to draw a clear distinction between the new registry’s core mandate and unrelated tax policy. He stressed that the initiative does not aim to collect or manage taxes from private rental hosts; that responsibility remains exclusively with the Ministry of Finance and the General Directorate of Internal Taxes (DGII).

    “The only objective of this program is to bring organizational structure to this fast-growing segment of our tourism industry, all for the sake of improved public safety,” Collado explained in his remarks. “Tax administration falls under the purview of our finance and tax authorities, not the Ministry of Tourism.”

    Under the proposed framework, the national registry will allow the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) to compile key operational data: it will catalog the exact locations of all active short-term rental properties across the country, and collect basic identifying information about guests staying at these locations. Collado noted that this centralized database will cut through the current lack of coordinated information, enabling emergency response teams to act far more quickly and effectively during crises, while also streamlining critical communications with foreign diplomatic missions when incidents involving international tourists occur.

    “When a serious incident or tragedy impacts a tourist staying in a short-term rental, foreign embassies immediately reach out to our ministry for information,” Collado said. “Right now, we often lack the basic data to respond quickly. This registry will fix that gap, and help us build a more structured, reliable tourism sector that visitors can trust.”

    The regulatory push arrives at a pivotal moment for the Dominican Republic’s $10 billion-plus tourism economy: the country is on track to post consecutive years of record-breaking visitor arrivals, with a growing share of travelers opting for private short-term rentals over traditional hotel accommodation. Industry analysts note that this unregulated growth has created unaddressed safety gaps, as authorities have had no systematic way to track where visitors are staying across the country’s popular coastal and island destinations.

    Dominican tourism authorities say that formal regulation of the short-term rental sector will not only improve protective measures for visitors, but also create a consistent oversight framework for the hundreds of thousands of accommodation units that now operate outside the traditional hotel system.

    Collado added that the short-term rental registry is just one component of a wider, multi-pronged government strategy to strengthen the country’s core tourism industry. Beyond the registry, the administration is advancing targeted territorial planning projects in the nation’s top tourist destinations, including Verón-Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, La Romana, Samaná, and Las Terrenas. The government is also rolling out a series of new policy frameworks focused on expanding sustainable tourism practices across the sector, as it works to balance growth with long-term environmental and community preservation.

  • Island-wide blackout after transformer explosion at Blue Hills Power Station

    Island-wide blackout after transformer explosion at Blue Hills Power Station

    In the early hours of Thursday morning, a widespread blackout cut power to the entire island of New Providence, Bahamas, after an underground cable fault sparked a transformer explosion and subsequent electrical fire at the Blue Hills Power Station, according to official updates from Bahamas Power and Light (BPL), the territory’s primary electricity provider.

    The utility company issued its first public alert regarding the outage at approximately 4:00 a.m., confirming that the incident at the generation facility had led to a total loss of electricity service across all of New Providence. Preliminary engineering investigations launched immediately after the incident traced the root cause to an suspected fault in an underground transmission cable, which triggered the blast that destroyed a 15-megavolt-ampere (MVA) transformer at the station and ignited the resulting electrical fire.

    Emergency response teams quickly contained the blaze, extinguishing it safely before any additional damage to the facility or injuries to personnel were reported. Immediately after the fire was put out, specialized BPL repair and grid restoration teams were deployed to begin bringing the system back online. Initially, the company warned customers that it could not provide a definitive timeline for full service restoration, given the extent of the damage caused by the explosion.

    Just two hours after the initial outage was reported, by 6:00 a.m., BPL confirmed that staged grid restoration work was well underway. To protect grid integrity and prevent a secondary collapse, service was brought back to communities incrementally rather than restoring all power at once. The first neighborhoods to regain service included Bonita Bay, SC McPherson, Winton 1 and 2, and Harold Road, alongside portions of Yellow Elder and Stapleton Gardens.

    Within 30 minutes of that update, the company added more restored communities to the list: the popular tourist hub Paradise Island was brought back online, along with East Street South, South Beach Estates, Pinewood, Marshall Road, Bamboo Town, Fox Hill Road, and sections of the Prince Charles neighborhood. By 7:00 a.m., service had also been restored to Gladstone Road, Firetrail Road, and portions of Carmichael Road and Sears Road.

    In BPL’s latest public update, issued at 7:18 a.m., just three hours and 18 minutes after the initial outage was declared, the company confirmed that approximately 50 percent of all New Providence electricity customers had already had their service restored. Restoration teams remain on site across the island working around the clock to restore power to the remaining affected customers as quickly as possible, while prioritizing worker and public safety throughout the process.

    BPL has issued a public appeal for customers who remain without power in areas that have been officially listed as restored: those customers are asked to contact the company’s 24-hour customer call centre at 225-5275 to report their individual outages so crews can address localized issues. In a closing statement, the utility apologized to all customers for the major service disruption and extended its gratitude to the public for their patience as the final stages of restoration continue.

  • Prime Minister Browne Congratulates St. John’s City West Residents on UWI Short Courses Completion

    Prime Minister Browne Congratulates St. John’s City West Residents on UWI Short Courses Completion

    In a moment of celebration that underscores the government’s commitment to expanding accessible skills development across Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has extended heartfelt congratulations to residents of St. John’s City West who successfully completed a series of professional short courses offered by the University of the West Indies (UWI).

    The milestone achievement marks a key step forward in the constituency’s efforts to upskill local workforces and create more competitive employment opportunities for community members across a range of industries. The UWI short courses, tailored to address evolving market demands, covered high-demand areas including digital literacy, small business management, and professional service skills, designed to equip participants with practical competencies that can be immediately applied in the workplace.

    In his official message marking the completion of the programs, Prime Minister Browne emphasized that investment in continuing education is central to his administration’s agenda for inclusive economic growth. He noted that upskilling initiatives like these, delivered in partnership with one of the Caribbean’s most respected tertiary education institutions, empower individuals to take control of their career trajectories while strengthening the overall resilience of the nation’s labor market.

    “These graduates have demonstrated a commitment to personal and professional growth that will not only transform their own lives but also contribute to the prosperity of the entire St. John’s City West community and our country as a whole,” Browne stated. He also reaffirmed the government’s ongoing commitment to expanding partnerships with UWI and other leading educational institutions to roll out similar short-form training programs across more constituencies in the coming months, reaching hundreds more adult learners seeking to advance their skills.

    Local community leaders echoed the Prime Minister’s remarks, highlighting that the program filled a critical gap for working adults in the constituency who were unable to commit to full-time degree programs. The flexible, accessible structure of the UWI short courses allowed participants to balance work, family responsibilities, and training, making continuing education achievable for learners from diverse backgrounds. Graduates of the program have already reported early outcomes including promotions, new job offers, and increased confidence to launch small independent businesses.

    Looking ahead, the St. John’s City West constituency office is already planning outreach for the next cohort of courses, with expectations of expanded enrollment to include more young people and unemployed residents seeking to re-enter the workforce. The success of this initial partnership between the constituency government and UWI is expected to serve as a model for other regions across Antigua and Barbuda looking to expand local skills development opportunities.

  • Henk Fraser nieuwe bondscoach van Suriname

    Henk Fraser nieuwe bondscoach van Suriname

    The Surinaamse Voetbal Bond (SVB), Suriname’s national football governing body, has confirmed the appointment of 60-year-old Henk Fraser as the new permanent head coach of the men’s senior national team, tasking him with leading the nation’s push for qualification to the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

    Fraser, a Paramaribo-born former Netherlands international, has put pen to paper on a four-year contract that formalizes his transition from a previous support role with the Suriname setup to the top job. For Fraser, the appointment marks a homecoming: the 60-year-old is no stranger to Surinamese football, having served as assistant coach to former head coach Stanley Menzo during Suriname’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

    After Suriname failed to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament, Menzo stepped down from his position. Dutch manager Henk ten Cate subsequently stepped in as interim head coach to lead the side through the intercontinental play-offs, where Suriname ultimately fell just short of booking its spot at the 2026 World Cup. Fraser’s permanent appointment ends the months-long search for a full-time replacement, putting the national program’s long-term development in his hands.

    The official unveiling of Fraser at Paramaribo’s Assuria Event Center coincided with two major national team announcements: the launch of a new apparel partnership and the introduction of the innovative Natio Green Guardians sustainability and community initiative. Speaking at the ceremony, Fraser opened up about his deep personal connection to the country, saying he felt deeply honored and proud to take on the role.

    “Suriname is the birthplace of my father and mother, and it is where I myself was born,” Fraser said. He reflected on his decades-long journey in football, noting that his family roots shaped the trajectory of his career, which ultimately led him to build his playing and coaching resume in the Netherlands. “Very often, your parents determine the path you follow. That path took me to the Netherlands: a very long road as a player, and a pretty long road as a coach,” he explained.

    Fraser brings an extensive and well-respected track record to his new role. As a professional player, he featured for top Eredivisie clubs including Sparta Rotterdam, FC Utrecht, Roda JC, and Feyenoord, and earned seven senior caps for the Netherlands men’s national team. His coaching career is equally rooted in Dutch top-flight football, having held head coaching positions at prominent Eredivisie sides ADO Den Haag, Vitesse, Sparta Rotterdam, FC Utrecht, and RKC Waalwijk. He also gained elite international tournament experience as an assistant coach to Louis van Gaal with the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar.

    The SVB has expressed strong confidence in Fraser’s ability to continue lifting Suriname’s national program to new heights. In a statement accompanying the appointment, the federation highlighted that Fraser’s extensive international experience, proven leadership, and clear tactical football vision will be major assets in driving the continued development of the national squad. The federation says it is confident he can build on the steady growth Suriname’s national team has achieved in recent cycles and advance the program through the 2030 World Cup cycle.

    With the 2026 World Cup campaign now concluded, Fraser will immediately turn his attention to the team’s upcoming fixtures: first, the CONCACAF Nations League, followed by the Gold Cup, before ramping up preparations for the 2030 World Cup qualifying process that lies ahead.

  • LIVE: United Progressive Party Press Conference

    LIVE: United Progressive Party Press Conference

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