Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence partners with Xploratur to promote inclusive tourism | News
Ambra Attus, Director of Impact, Development and Growth at Aquila
Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence, the industry’s trusted bridge between cruise lines and destinations, has completed specialized training for Dominican Republic tour operator Xploratur in support of the launch of “Xploratur Access,” a new division of accessible excursions designed for the cruise market.
The training session, titled “Excellence for All: Diversity and Inclusion in the Visitor Experience,” was held on April 30 in Puerto Plata. The session was led by Aquila’s expert team and focused on equipping guides, drivers and office staff with the skills needed to deliver high-quality, inclusive experiences that meet the evolving expectations of today’s traveler.
“We applaud Xploratur for taking meaningful steps to develop accessible tourism experiences and investing in its team to ensure excellence at every touchpoint,” said Ambra Attus, Director of Impact, Development and Growth at Aquila. “This initiative reflects a clear commitment to raising service standards and promoting a more inclusive tourism landscape, strengthening the destination’s competitiveness on the global stage.”
The partnership highlights Aquila’s ‘people first’ philosophy, which holds that infrastructure and marketing are only as strong as the people who bring destinations to life. During the hands-on session, participants used Aquila’s field-tested strategies to navigate real-world scenarios, covering topics such as:
Diversity, equality, inclusion and accessibility in tourism
Effective communication with various visitors
Real-time adjustment of services and handling of operational situations through an inclusive approach
By integrating these best practices, Xploratur draws inspiration from Aquila’s Living Lab approach to support continuous improvements to the guest experience.
“Developing accessible products allows us to deliver a value proposition that aligns with cruise line expectations,” said Katty Valdez, Managing Director of Xploratur. “Along the way, we’ve learned that inclusivity isn’t just about having the right equipment, but also about how we make people feel with every interaction. Investing in our people is critical.”
As the exclusive training partner of FCCA (Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association), Aquila continues to leverage more than 35 years of experience in real-world cruise operations to strengthen communities and elevate the global status of destinations.
