The Bolsa Turística del Caribe (BTC), a tourism trade fair based in the Dominican Republic, has announced its 30th edition, which will take place from October 22 to 24 at the Hotel Dominican Fiesta in Santo Domingo. Organizers revealed the official details of the anniversary event this week.
The milestone edition marks three decades of promoting Dominican Republic tourism and strengthening ties with the Caribbean, Central America, North America and South America.
Panama as guest of honor
Luis Felipe Aquino, president and creator of the BTC, said that in celebrating its first three decades, the event reaffirms the essence that has kept it relevant: promoting the Dominican Republic, generating business opportunities, driving regional integration and contributing to the sustainable development of the tourism industry.
Aquino said the BTC is an event built with passion, interest and dedication, and that over 30 years it has fulfilled its purpose of giving visibility to the country and promoting it regionally and internationally. He also said that for this anniversary edition, Panama will serve as the Guest Country of Honor, with a special participation that will include the presentation of its tourism offerings and main attractions.
A three-day agenda
Luisa María de Aquino, director of the BTC, gave details of the agenda for the three-day event, which will include business roundtables, forums, conferences, panels, workshops, congresses, exhibitions, product and service launches, tastings, cultural experiences and fashion shows.
De Aquino announced that BTC 2026 will host delegations from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and Turkey, along with more than 200 national and international tour operators and travel agents, including a large delegation of wholesale tour operators from Mexico.
She said the agenda includes the first International Forum on Tourism Journalism, organized by the Dominican Association of Tourism Press (Adompretur), and the first Dental Tourism Congress, organized by Dr. Zoila Fernández. Additional activities will cover nautical tourism, a religious tourism gathering, and spaces dedicated to accessible tourism and meetings tourism, along with presentations of national and international tourism products.
Among this year's featured participants is Fernando Compeán, an expert in MICE tourism, who will deliver the conference "Increasing Meetings and Events: Growing in a Dynamic World," focused on the transformations, opportunities and challenges facing the meetings and events tourism sector.
Gastronomic record and recognition
One of the special moments of this edition will be a national and international gastronomic record attempt, with the preparation of the largest bean salad. The activity is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, starting at 2:00 p.m., and will be open to the public free of charge.
The program will also include the "Anonymous Heroes of the Tourism Sector" recognition, aimed at honoring people who, from different fields, have made significant contributions to the development of tourism activity.
As part of the destination experience, international delegations will take a tour of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, where they will be able to see the historic and cultural heritage that distinguishes the "Primada de América," a nickname referring to the city's status as the site of the first European settlements in the Americas.
The edition will close with fashion, culture and entertainment offerings, as part of a program designed to bring together the different segments of the tourism industry and strengthen ties between participants.
