Watch out Cancun, the Dominican be jammin'

Author: Andrea Glaessner

Great ideas are never far from a good cup of coffee. Perhaps it is the caffeine that sparks new thinking. Or maybe this association comes from the way the drink connects people passionate about its flavor and history. No matter how you like it - with cream and sugar or strong and black - coffee has a way of bringing people and conversation together. Recently, coffee has even found a way to unite two unique Vermont businesses that share a love of life, sustainability, the Dominican Republic and of course, coffee.

Julia Alvarez, writer-in-residence at Middlebury College and her husband Dr. Bill Eichner are the founders of the fair trade organic coffee brand Café Alta Gracia, featured in last week's edition of The Middlebury Campus. The coffee brand, named after the location in the high slopes of the Dominican Republic where the coffee beans are cultivated organically, strives to raise money to give back to the community of Dominican coffee farmers and to raise awareness about the benefits of sustainable, fair trade farming.

One day, Dr. Eichner read in the Burlington Free Press about another Vermont business deeply invested in contributing to and promoting the rich culture of the Dominican Republic: All Dominican Travel. The company, started by Allison Dincecco and Alejandro Torrens about a year and a half ago, accommodates travelers interested in going beyond the limited experience of a "resort vacation" to explore the heart of the island and to learn about and understand the roots of its people, food, culture and, now, its coffee.

After learning of the small, but exceptionally goal-oriented travel business, Alvarez and her husband decided to contact All Dominican Travel and discuss the possibilities of a relationship between the firms. Dincecco was surprised to receive a call from the couple, saying, "The connection with Alta Gracia was a huge milestone. Dr. Eichner saw an article about us in the Burlington Free Press and asked if we had heard of them. I laughed and thought, 'Are you kidding? I can't believe they've heard of us!'"

All Dominican Travel has only been in existence for a year and a half, and Dincecco and Torrens have thus far mostly toured with couples and families on trips to experience the D.R. But the business partners have big plans for the future of All Dominican Travel. This February, Dincecco and Torrens plan to take travelers to experience Carnaval, a huge celebration that takes place all across the island in the season before Lent. Dincecco describes the festival as "the crazy street party without raising your top." Unlike Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Carnaval in the D.R. is family-orientated and is a great way for travelers to truly experience the flavor of the people who, according to Dincecco, "are the island's greatest natural resource." Native Dominicans have Spanish, Taíno and African roots, and with such a rich heritage, the people exude warmth and sophistication in their own way - Caribbean style.

With the recent connection established between their travel company and Café Alta Gracia, Dincecco and Torrens plan to include trips to Alta Gracia, located in the slopes of Pico Duarte, the highest mountain in the Caribbean, for travelers interested in learning about sustainable farming, the production of organic coffee and the culture of the farmers who make each delicious cup possible.

This openness to learning about all that the Dominican Republic has to offer, combined with the founders' extensive knowledge of the area distinguishes All Dominican Travel from other travel agencies. Torrens, a native of the island, had been traveling and passing on insights and experiences for his family and friends for years before the company was even conceived. An artist as well as a connoisseur of the second largest nation in the Caribbean, Torrens met his future business partner, Dincecco, formerly a gallery and modern furniture store owner, in the art world. Their idea to start All Dominican Travel came about while the two were curating an art show for the Latin Festival in Burlington.

Dincecco truly began her love affair with the Caribbean island after she agreed to sign on with Torrens. During the first six months after the company's inception Dincecco spent her time "traveling over there as a single American woman to see how to get around and how things truly work." In those months, Dincecco learned more than tips for survival as a foreigner in the D.R.

On her trips, she realized how much the island can offer those who step outside the hotel resort. Now that she has spent so much time on the island, Dincecco is confident in saying, "We're safe and reliable, we're very trustworthy, everything we do has been tried and tested."

When Dincecco stayed in a small apartment with a Dominican family she gained extensive cultural knowledge of the island, far more than she could from a hotel where the employees' main goal is catering to foreigners instead of educating and enlightening them.

Dincecco explains, "If I brought a beer [to my homestay mom] she opened up and talked to me. I found out so much more in sharing a beer and sitting on the back porch than if I had tried to figure things out at the dinner table. These are the kind of experiences I want our clients, especially those that are students and professors, to have."

Dincecco does recognize how easy it is to travel to the D.R. and never leave the comfort of the hotel resort. In fact, Dincecco explains that "most people just go from the airport via bus to their all-inclusive hotel and without living the culture or meeting the people of the country. I'd say go to Florida for that kind of vacation. If you want to experience more and you like a little bit of flavor come with us." But for Dincecco and Torrens, relaxing for a week on the pristine beaches is not a goal of their company or their clients.

Instead, Dincecco emphasizes a balance between the relaxing beach vacation and the adventurous exploration of one of the New World's oldest and fascinating countries. She explains, "We know people need to go on vacation and sit their tush in the sand but we also know it's important for people to come back as cultural ambassadors. Visiting a local school, cooking dinner with a family and really getting out and experiencing the country are our goals for our clients."

Like Alta Gracia, All Dominican Travel is an example of a Vermont business whose true value lies in the hard work and dedication of its founders and their mission of promoting goals that extend beyond those of their competitors. These Burlington-based travelers explore endless opportunities to enrich and embolden their lives as well as the experiences of their clients by offering what few other travel agencies can: a vacation beyond the resort and into the captivating culture of this enchanting Caribbean island.