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The twentieth edition of the meeting and incentive conference Successful Meetings University (SMU) Caribbean & Islands was held for the first time in the Dominican Republic, and what better place than Casa de Campo for hosting the closure of an event which promotes this country as an international tourist destination.
SMU Caribbean 2015 took place from July 12th to 15th at Casa de Campo and Punta Cana and was a three day event full of networking activities, site inspections, and one-on-one business appointments with representatives from Caribbean hotels and resorts.
This event was sponsored by the Dominican Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) and Casa de Campo and included the participation of 34 highly qualified buyers from North America, who witnessed the attributes the Dominican Republic has to offer as an important tourism sector. Other participants included representatives from other islands and destinations as well as local companies, such as; Barceló Hotels, Hard Rock Punta Cana, Sheraton Santo Domingo, Occidental Hotels, Western Ambassador, Sivory and DMC and IVI Connect Travel Services DMC.
Shasha Cruz, Groups and Incentives Director for Mitur in US and Canada, said that the aim of this program is to support the goal of the institution to continue increasing the number of visitors to the Dominican Republic in this segment. “This is a great opportunity to promote and continue positioning the destination to buyers of this segment, showing not only the diversity we have, but also the great development of our tourism infrastructure, emphasizing that the Dominican Republic is a destination able to satisfy the demands and expectations as a tourist destination “, said Cruz.
Those who participated enjoyed visiting various locations throughout Punta Cana and La Romana, especially in Altos de Chavon, where the event closure was celebrated- a Dominican night which included a performance by the MITUR Folkloric Ballet, as well as Dominican cuisine, art crafts exhibition, jewelry made with amber and larimar and a cigar rolling giving a unique touch, which identifies the Dominican culture.
The event was supported by Marianela Pina, current director of the Tourism Promotion Office in Chicago. Also were present some members of the sales team of Casa de Campo, among them Leandro Cruz, vice president of sales and Patricia Perez-Sahin, senior director of group sales in the United States for Casa de Campo.
The following photos were taken during the closing of MSU Caribbean & Islands annual Meeting Planner’s conference in Altos de Chavon:
