Tourism getting a boost

[NewsWhore]

Today, PROINVEST, in conjunction with Caribbean Export, is hosting a workshop where regional furniture manufacturers can learn about opportunities for cooperation with their Caribbean and European Union counterparts. The EU-Caribbean Partnership Meeting - "Furniture and Complementary Decorative Items" will be held at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel between 10 and 12 March. The three-day workshop will provide Dominican businesses in the furniture and decorative accessory sectors with an opportunity to establish cooperation agreements with European businesses, specifically with Spanish companies seeking to invest in the Dominican tourism sector. These agreements could include collaborative schemes such as investment, joint ventures, technology exchange, decorating concept and supply for hotels (contract), clustering, marketing and manufacturing. INTERCO (France), UNEX (Spain), IGA-CNI (Italy), Chamber of Kavala (Greece), BELTRAIDE (Belize), GOINVEST (Guyana), JMA (Jamaica) CEDA (Caribbean Export Development Agency) and CODOPYME (DR) are taking part in PROINVEST's regional program. UNEX has been chosen as the intermediary organization to support Spanish investment opportunities in the DR. Alan Ramirez Risk, Executive Director at Caribbean Export, explains that the cooperation between Dominican and Spanish firms, using the new "Contract" concept, will only increase the value of products offered by the Dominican hotel and tourism industry. He adds that this week's workshops are just a platform for future investments in the country and will aid small and medium sized businesses that would have been left out of the market in the past, to make deals with investors looking to invest in the DR. UNEX secretary general David Camara Navarro, speaking to dr1.com reporter Lu Olivero, explained that in the past, Spanish companies seeking to invest in the DR had found it difficult to do so and that workshops like these are aimed at making it easier for Spanish businesses to invest in the DR and vice versa. Minister of the European National Authorizing Office (ONFED) Onofre Rojas, speaking at the launching of the event, commented on the continued efforts to strengthen relationships between the EU and the DR and highlighted how these relationships can help provide small and medium sized businesses (PYMES) with employment opportunities and strengthen the Dominican economy.

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