The 2017 Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE), the country’s most important tourism fair, will celebrate its 18th edition at the Barcelo Convention Center in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from May 3 - 5.
Due to its continuous growth, DATE 2017 Hosted MICE Buyers have been assigned a special location, separate from DATE’s main trade floor, at the Barcelo Bavaro Grand Resort in Punta Cana from May 1 - 6. Registrations for both DATE 2017 and DATE’s Hosted MICE Program are being accepted now.
DATE is organized by the Hotels & Tourism Association of the Dominican Republic (ASONAHORES) in association with the Dominican Ministry of Tourism (MITUR).
“DATE 2017 is very special to us as it also marks the fourth anniversary of our Hosted MICE Buyer Program, which was first introduced during DATE 2014 and has been growing steadily since then," said Thelma Martinez, ASONAHORES’ marketing director, in a written release. "The MICE (Meetings, Incentive, Conventions and Exhibit) segment is becoming extremely important for our destination."
DATE has been known since its debut in 2000 as the most important travel trade show for the Dominican tourism product. Perhaps the biggest news to come out of last year's program came when Simon Suarez, president ASONAHORES, announced that U.S. Customs and Border Protection will add pre-clearance operations in Punta Cana by 2017.
“It is ‘one-stop shopping’ for international buyers to meet with the country’s key suppliers in a very organized and effective manner through pre-scheduled appointments during a two-day period," said Martinez.
The Barcelo Convention Center features 13 breakout rooms and is able to accommodate up to roughly 5,000 people.
Visit www.drdate.net and www.godominicanrepublic.com