Travel expert shares tips on AI vacation planning More than half of travelers say they may use artificial intelligence, or AI, to plan and assist with summer travel this year, according to a survey conducted by Matador Network, which created the artificial intelligence travel assistant GuideGeek. GuideGeek is just one of the many free AI tools that can help you plan your next getaway. AI can be used to advise on the best places to stay, eat and explore, while providing tips to help save money and avoid crowds, all tailored to your specific wants and needs. The technology also connects users with real-time flights, hotels and weather as well as currency conversion. Ross Borden, the CEO of Matador Network, says using this AI technology feels like you’re just chatting with a friend. “Imagine you have a friend in Barcelona that has lived there all their life and you’re asking her for [...]

Dominican Republic maintains record arrivals: nearly 6 million visitors through June Nearly six million visitors arrived in the Dominican Republic in the first half of this year, a record that continues the sector’s streak of steady growth. This was announced by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, while reporting that in June alone, the country received 758,719 tourists by air, representing 7% more than the same month of 2023, 17% more than in 2022, and 39% compared to 2019. He indicated that June’s growth is also reflected in the arrivals by sea, with 165,017 cruise passengers visiting, which reflects an increase of 15% compared to the same month last year, 111% compared to 2022, and 182% compared to 2019. “This means that in the month of June alone the country received 923,736 visitors, 9% more than in 2023, 28% more than 2022 and 58% higher than last year,” Collado said. He said [...]

Iberostar: The most award-winning hotel chain in Cuba   By Daily Pérez Guillén Spanish chain IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts Cuba has distinguished itself as a quality brand in the Caribbean archipelago for three decades. The 2024 Travellers’ Choice awards confirm this with twelve new awards, five of them in the Best of the Best category, and with the best judges—travelers themselves. “Iberostar Cuba is changing its color palette, its branding and remains committed to continued growth on the island, with quality values that differentiate us from the rest and win awards. We do not work for awards, but they help us to promote our efforts,” Marketing Director Alexeis Torres Velázquez stated from a meeting room with a view of daily life along Havana’s Malecón. Marketing Director Iberostar, Alexeis Torres Velázquez Iberostar manages 18 hotels in the country’s main tourist areas: Havana, Varadero, the north-central keys, Trinidad and Holguín’s coast. [...]

Dolphin therapy for children with autism in Jardines del Rey With the aim of developing health tourism in the province of Ciego de Ávila, the local branch of the Cuban Medical Services Enterprise (Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos S.A./CSMC) proposes an innovative program for the care of children with autism spectrum disorder. The project will focus on the Jardines del Rey tourist destination and offer animal therapy in the dolphinariums of the Coco and Guillermo keys. The program includes specialized medical care to improve children’s wellbeing and quality of life, as Dr. Agnerys Cruz, CSMC director in Ciego de Ávila, told Prensa Latina. The initiative is the result of collaboration between CSMC and the Canadian hotel chain Blue Diamond Resorts. This joint effort will use dolphins to treat autistic children and adults with socialization problems, constituting a unique experience in Cuba’s tourist regions. The combination of medical therapies and recreational activities promises [...]

Cubanacan seeks to improve quality and launches new campaign By Daily Pérez Guillén For the Cubanacan Group, C is more than just the third letter in the alphabet or the initial of its name. It is part of a new communication campaign to emphasize the quality of the group’s tourist options in Cuba and invite its workers to achieve the best with the slogan “Do it with C.” Using the words collective, comfort, culture, competence, creativity and constancy, Cubanacán President, Jorge Alberto García, explained that this initiative, whose target audience is workers and managers, aims to motivate and improve performance and management in search of greater customer satisfaction. “We are encouraging Cubanacán’s 17,000 workers throughout the country to join the campaign and make it a factor to maintain the high quality standards that are necessary to further improve the commercialization of our hotels,” García stressed in an interview with TTC. The [...]