Uruguayan Company Drives Tourism 4.0 in Caribbean Hotels

Article published on the Somos Uruguay website

With 40 years of experience, technology company Isbel is connecting resorts in the Dominican Republic with fiber optic solutions and personalized digital services, driving the development of Tourism 4.0.

In a conversation with Somos Uruguay, the Head of Hospitality and Tourism, Alejandro Draper, explained that the company established offices in the Dominican Republic more than 15 years ago and later expanded to Puerto Rico. Based on that presence in the Caribbean, it developed technological solutions for the hotel sector. "We identified that in the Caribbean there were many real estate and hotel development projects that required technological expertise, knowledge, advisory services, and more," he commented.

The first hospitality project began in 2018, and over the years that line of business has continued to grow. Today it is one of the company's verticals, with personnel dedicated exclusively to working with hotels across Latin America, beyond the countries where the company has offices.

"In the Dominican Republic there is an impressive development of tourism, and there are many hotel projects, to the point that it has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels. That means a lot of investment, new projects, and hotel chains that are establishing themselves, and that is where we come in, because we are leveraging that growth. We are also bringing our experience to other countries; we have completed projects in Mexico, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Barbados, and Jamaica."

Draper noted that in terms of tourism development in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic is leading the way, and from there they are bringing investment and technology advances to the rest of the islands. When asked about the main challenges in the sector, Draper responded that one of the keys is "ensuring that investors see value in investing in quality infrastructure."

Draper pointed out that in terms of infrastructure, the company installs fiber optics to each room, and from that infrastructure foundation, the hotel can develop an entire line of digital services, such as internet-based television service, telephony, video conferencing, or a virtual concierge platform that allows guests to order room service from their WhatsApp or complete check-out. "All of this is supported by high-speed, reliable, and stable infrastructure," Draper added.

When asked about the role of Uruguay's technology sector development in the realization of these projects, Draper noted that the company was able to leverage the knowledge acquired throughout its history and the work it performs with Antel, UTE, and major Uruguayan companies, and to innovate by bringing "carrier-grade" technologies to the hospitality sector, something that was not common in the industry.

Published in Somos Uruguay.

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