|
|
From
Colorado to Cabarete on a Mountain Bike
The Santo Domingo News
February, 1997
By Dolores Vicioso
Last week I mentioned Alberto del Pino, who 15 years ago
had the vision to foresee that the Dominican Republic was
headed for major tourism development and thus he chose to
base his hotel career in this country, switching from a career
as an itinerant hotel manager to one of president of a world
based company based in Santo Domingo. This week, I would like
to comment on another person who also saw that the future
was here in the D.R. This person originally came as a tourist
to Puerto Plata and because of past life experiences was able
to visualize that the future was here to be forged on the
roller coaster of an expanding market for anyone with the
right know-how and a willingness to work hard.
I write about Tricia Thorndike de Suriel, a 33-year old visionary
that is exemplary of what is happening every day in this country,
where people come as tourists, see the potential here and
return to invest. I have yet to meet her personally but have
kept in touch by email and telephone. I have come under the
spell of her dynamism and would like to encourage her to continue
making important contributions to the tourist industry in
this country.
Why is this woman outstanding? First of all, she is promoting
the sport tourism segment of the industry, one of the better
market niches for this country. She is also promoting ecotourism,
but from what I perceive she is doing it in a way to preserve
the natural habitat so in the future many others can also
enjoy what we have today.
Second, she is promoting the way a major company would promote,
positioning the Dominican Republic in major publications,
holding major events and even inviting newsworthy persons.
Her efforts are paying off. She started with 10 mountain bikes
and now has 40, but her growth is in a positive way for the
industry and Cabarete. And the Dominican Republic is getting
good publicity in specialized and non-specialized publications
abroad.
Remember, Cabarete first became known to the world because
of its windsurfing. This womanâs efforts are especially
important because they target the segment of sports tourism
which is an excellent brand of tourism to have. Like the windsurfing
crowd, these are people of healthy mind and body that enjoy
nature and I am sure will be able to participate in ecotourism
without being destructive of the habitant, living by the creed
that Tricia preaches: "Start a love affair with the earth,
take nothing but pictures; leave nothing but footprints".
Through her own public relations efforts, she has achieved
stories in Bicycling Magazine in the USA, Bike Magazine and
Mountain Bike Magazine in Germany, and has had journalists
from the New York Times, Eco-traveler, Rochester D & C,
What Mountain Bike?, Holiday Destinations, Outdoor Cycling,
Mountain Biking Today, Outdoor Pursuits, Holiday and Leisure
World publications visit. Stories from these journalists are
expected to be published this year. This February she is attending
the International Adventure Travel Show in Chicago to highlight
the Dominican Republic. She will be representing the Dominican
Republic.
Last April 1996, she sponsored the Caribbean Cup National
Mountain Bike Race and attracted over 250 participants from
the Dominican Republic, the US, Germany, St. Martin, St. Kitts,
Canada, Montserrat, Guadaloupe, and Antigua. This February
she has invited Libor Karas, tops in the world of mountain
biking. Karas is a stunt cyclist and trickster, a World Champion
of Mountain Biking Trials and ESPN/Eurosport Extreme Games.
His performances will be televised for the Dominican public.
He is also scheduled to visit the Pico Duarte (the Dominican
Alps) and perform in Puerto Plata. For Saturday, 8 February,
he is scheduled to participate in a "family fun ride"
at 9:30am, bicycle BMX competition for children 7-15 and also
in an exhibition at Cabarete Beach Hotel at 7:30 and 9pm.
For Sunday, 9 February, Cotui will be the site for a race
from 10 to 3pm. He is also slated for a live television appearance
at 6pm in Santo Domingo.
Note that the 22 year old Libor has appeared on The Late
Show with David Letterman, the Late Night with Conan OâBrien,
MTV Sports and other programs. He is from Perov, Czech Republic.
His visit to the Dominican Republic is expected to serve to
pave the way for Iguana Mama to host Dirt Camp, a Cannondale
sponsored mountain biking clinic next year.
Tricia comes to the Dominican Republic from the Colorado
tourism school. As a member of the Ecotourism Society in the
United States, she feels it is her job to educate all her
clients on how to be responsible tourists. Note that the environment
is important for the people in Colorado that base their tourism
on preserving the quality of the natural habitat. She is former
owner of a childrenâs ski school in Colorado, who sold
that business envisioning the potential of a mountain bike
and ecotourism company based in Cabarete, Puerto Plata.
Finally she is most likely to become a permanent player in
the tourism industry, having married a Dominican.
© The Santo Domingo News
|
 |
