Asonahores

Punta Perla becomes member of important and influential Dominican tourist sector association, ASONAHORES

The Punta Perla Caribbean Golf, Marina & Spa Resort was recently accepted as a member in the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants, Inc. (ASONAHORES in its Spanish acronym form) in the Dominican Republic. The inclusion of Punta Perla in April in this prestigious and influential association signifies yet another important step for the project in gaining recognition and support within the Dominican and Caribbean tourist sectors.

Founded in 1962 as a private, not for profit trade institution with the aim to represent the Dominican hotel and restaurant industries, ASONAHORES is now the leading association within this economic sector, representing both within the Dominican Republic and internationally an impressive number of hotel and restaurant owners operating in the DR.

Its principal duties include, on the one hand, bringing to the attention of government officials, private companies, and the public at large the importance of tourism in the economic and social spheres of the Dominican Republic. On the other hand, ASONAHORES strives to defend and promote various private sector tourism initiatives – particularly those that relate to the hotel and restaurant sectors – through marketing campaigns, trade conferences, and public sector lobbying. Through this latter function, ASONAHORES has become an important and effective voice in expressing collective grievances and industry needs to government bodies, in tracking and interpreting government policy and legal decisions affecting tourism, in voicing unified opinions on said decisions and issues, and in making policy or legislative recommendations.

ASONAHORES is also known for compiling and publishing key statistical data on the tourism sector, including hotel occupancy rates and financial revenues generated through tourism in the various tourist regions of the Dominican Republic. In addition to statistics, ASONAHORES disseminates important tourist information related to the Dominican Republic through periodic bulletins or newsletters, an official tourist guide of the association, and internet.

Membership in ASONAHORES includes more than 130 hotels (just over 70% of the hotels in the DR), which represent more than 40,000 rooms. In addition, it relies on the participation of more than 35 restaurants, 2 important associations that represent gourmet and fast food restaurants, and a chapter of allied members made up of over 190 companies involved in the supplying of goods and services for hotel and gastronomic establishments.

Through its participation in ASONAHORES, Punta Perla and other member organizations enjoy a wealth of invaluable services and benefits, including:

• Representation of members’ interests before public authorities
  
• Consultation assistance with regards to legal and regulatory actions affecting tourism in general and the hotel and restaurant sector in particular
  
• Direct contact with associated business entities and groups within the DR and internationally
  
• Positive image and business benefits associated with public awareness and marketing campaigns – both nationally and abroad – developed and created by ASONAHORES
  
• Invitations to participate in trade conferences and to be part of sector delegations participating in international tourism or trade shows
  
• Access to periodic publications and up-to-date statistical and legal information related to tourism

Through its delegations, ASONAHORES also participates in or represents the hotel and restaurant sector in various larger national and international organizations and forums, including national tourism promotion organizations and regional – Caribbean and Inter-American – hotel and restaurant associations. Of particular note on the national front, ASONAHORES is a contributing member of CPT (Council on Tourist Promotion), an institution constituted to promote the Dominican Republic as a key tourist destination internationally.