Groups meeting in the Dominican Republic will enjoy uncovering its cultural offerings as much as they’ll delight in visiting its gorgeous sun-kissed beaches.
When business has concluded, attendees will find historic landmarks, museums, local artisans and an altogether lively atmosphere—via both weekly celebrations and major annual festivals—throughout this Caribbean gem’s meetings-friendly destinations.
“We are very creative and colorful, and our dance rhythms are very catchy—merengue and bachata is everywhere,” says Marie Marion-Landais Mesa, a marketing executive for Amstar DMC. “Our people are very joyful, kind and smiling all the time, which explains why tourism has developed so much in recent years.”
Santo Domingo
In Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic’s capital and by all accounts the most popular of its meetings players, a tour of the Colonial Zone, its oldest section, is a great place to begin an exploration of local cultural highlights.
According to AJ Trela, spokeswoman for the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism, “groups seeking to explore the city’s past in the most convenient way will find this tour to be perfect.”
Recommended and interesting stops in the pedestrian-friendly Colonial Zone include, among other historical buildings from the 16th century, the Catedral Primada de America, Alcazar de Colon and Fort Ozama.
“The tour also includes a visit to a workshop that processes Dominican amber, as well as stops at several of the city’s best cigar shops,” Trela says. “And it wraps up at the Mercado Modelo, the arts and crafts market on Mella Street.”
Groups will find the lion’s share of Santo Domingo’s cultural activities are in the Colonial Zone, which also offers various dining possibilities, and at the Plaza de la Cultura, where according to Marion-Landais Mesa, there are plenty of museums to visit including the Galeria Nacional de Bellas Artes and the Museo de Arte Moderno.
She adds groups might also include music in the meeting’s lineup by checking out the National Orchestra if visiting from March through June, and Grupo Bonye, a beloved local band that plays live Caribbean music at the Ruinas de San Francisco on Sundays.
For more live music, groups convening in nearby Punta Cana in March will hear merengue, bachata and reggaeton at the annual Carnival.
“This event brings together a selection of the best carnival entertainment in the Dominican Republic,” Trela says, adding it takes place in Punta Cana village and, beyond native performances, also includes performances from international delegations from Aruba, Curacao, Haiti and Saint Martin. “The event is free, making it the perfect excursion for groups meeting in Punta Cana.”
La Romana
In La Romana, a city that Trela says is “defined by sugar cane fields, golf and diving,” there are indeed incredible golf courses and fun waterborne pursuits, as well as cultural endeavors to entertain visiting groups.
Among them, Altos de Chavón, a replica of a 16th century Mediterranean village, is a standout must-visit landmark.
“Its Stanislaus Church overlooks the Chavón River and is in high demand for group events,” Trela says, adding: “The village’s 5,000-seat amphitheater hosted no other than music legend Frank Sinatra during the church’s opening ceremonies in the 1980s.”
Popular performers continue to entertain audiences here, and the village is also home to various restaurants and purveyors of jewelry, arts and crafts, and cigars.
And when convening in Puerto Plata, groups should visit the Brugal Rum Factory, which according to Trela is the largest producer of traditionally made rum, all of which is aged in more than 200,000 American white oak barrels.
“Rum is an integral part of Caribbean culture, and the Dominican Republic was certainly not spared,” Trela says. “Learn the history of the Dominican rum industry and see how the highly modern factory uses only native ingredients to produce some of the best rum in the world.”
Group tours of the factory, including rum tastings, are available on weekdays.
