Noticias

Destination planning is the most important tool for ensuring the monitoring of sustainability indicators, yet it is one of the least implemented. This is not surprising, given the barriers that hinder the execution of an efficient planning process: from financial constraints and a lack of coherence between national, regional, and municipal plans, to communication difficulties among stakeholders in the destination.

This situation allows us to appreciate, in its true dimension, what has been achieved in Miches in recent months. This includes bringing together major investors in the sector, who share a vision for this new destination, and aligning them on the shared goal they will promote through the El Seibo-Miches Hotel and Tourism Association (Promiches); as well as involving the various stakeholders that impact the tourism development of this new destination through the signing of a Public-Private Partnership Agreement for the Tourism Development of Miches.

The agreement itself reflects the philosophy and vision that Promiches, comprised of second-generation entrepreneurs from prominent tourism families, aims to promote in the region. This vision seeks to avoid creating two parallel realities—one for tourism and the other for the community—and instead ensures that tourism growth benefits communities by improving their quality of life and their capacity to develop and provide for their families. Furthermore, the agreement incorporates the extensive experience of these entrepreneurs in other destinations, enabling them, in conjunction with the Dominican government, to anticipate future challenges and needs and proactively implement effective measures to address each of these areas.

Access

The Public-Private Partnership Agreement for Tourism Development in Miches anticipates, as a first step, the need to regulate access to and use of Playa Esmeralda to ensure the proper development of this area for tourism, the first to be developed in the region. To this end, it proposes the design and development of the public and private access points necessary for the growth of hotel and real estate infrastructure, as well as for the full and responsible enjoyment of visitors to this beautiful coastal area.

Water and solid waste management

The second component of the agreement is water. On the one hand, it resolves the issue of water collection in the Playa Esmeralda area, but also in the surrounding communities of La Mina and Hicaco Blanco, which do not have access to this precious resource, by connecting this area to an aqueduct located on the La Yeguada River. Half of its capacity supplies the town of Miches, enough for five times the current population; and the other half supplies Playa Esmeralda, La Mina, and Hicaco Blanco.

The environmental and social impact of this measure is invaluable. On the one hand, it improves the quality of life for residents of the communities surrounding the Playa Esmeralda tourist and hotel zone, but just as importantly, with access to water, hotel and real estate projects can forgo drilling tube wells, which reduce groundwater pressure and increase the risk of soil salinization.

On the other hand, there is the issue of wastewater treatment, for which the agreement proposes the installation of a cluster of treatment plants that serve all hotels, according to their location and size, so that more than one hotel would share the same treatment plant, preventing each project from developing its own, with the environmental impact that this entails.

The Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda and Ciudad Esmeralda projects have set an example by sharing a single wastewater treatment plant. It is anticipated that other projects, whose distance makes connecting to the existing plant feasible, will eliminate the construction of their own treatment plant from their design and instead utilize the one already in operation.

Regarding solid waste management, the agreement envisions a municipal solution, not just one focused on tourism. It proposes analyzing the feasibility of constructing a transfer station to serve the entire municipality, improving the quality of life for all residents of Miches. The municipalities would remain responsible for transporting waste to the station, where it would be sorted and recyclable materials sent to a sanitary landfill serving both Miches and Punta Cana/Bávaro. This measure must be complemented by community education efforts aimed at minimizing waste and promoting source separation, thus facilitating waste management once it arrives at the transfer station.

Security

Security is the fourth topic addressed in the agreement. It proposes the construction of a National Police and law enforcement station in the community of La Mina, which has experienced the greatest growth due to tourism development. This station would be built by the Dominican government, and the 2,000 square meter plot of land would be contributed by Promiches. Additionally, the infrastructure of all existing National Police stations in the area will be improved. The first phase of this work is already underway with the Presidential Commission for Provincial Development and is budgeted for this year. This effort would be complemented by the construction of a POLITUR (Tourist Police) and Dominican Navy post in Playa Esmeralda, a project planned by CEIZTUR (Center for Innovation and Development of Tourism) on land also contributed by Promiches to improve access.

Proper environmental management and land-use plan

The fifth point addressed in the agreement is integrated coastal management. To this end, the Public-Private Management Committee for Playa Esmeralda is established, comprised of the various entities responsible for coastal management. This committee will be in charge of designing and implementing an Integrated Coastal Management Plan for the area, ensuring that tourism development does not exert greater pressure on natural resources than they can withstand to regenerate and maintain themselves.

One of the most important issues addressed in the agreement is the design of the destination’s land-use plan. This begins with a review of the Miches Tourism Land-Use Plan, which will then serve as the basis for designing a municipal land-use plan, a process undertaken by the Planning and Projects Department of the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) and the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development, respectively.

Subsequently, management tools would be designed so that municipalities could ensure compliance with planning schemes, as well as support them in their implementation.

Transportation and promotion

The agreement establishes collaboration with tourist transportation companies to guarantee the safety and quality of service offered to visitors to the destination. For this, INTRANT’s leadership and commitment are essential to ensure that the same mistakes made in other destinations are not repeated.

The agreement includes the co-management of the recently inaugurated tourist pier of Miches, as a tool for connecting the tourist and hotel zone of Playa Esmeralda and the town of Miches; but also to support the implementation of the Miches – Samaná circuit.

Finally, the agreement includes support from the Ministry of Tourism for the national and international promotion of the destination.

There is no doubt that the road to achieving Miches’ objectives is still long, but the signing of the Public-Private Agreement for Tourism Development is an excellent first step; a concerted effort to unite the diverse stakeholders and design the essential strategic plan that will ensure the establishment of a distinctive tourist destination—one that is environmentally responsible and socially inclusive, as all its residents envision.