DR tourism news from DR1 Sep-Dec 2001

> DR1 Daily News -- Friday, 7 December 2001
>
> 5. Tourism Police say child prostitution continues in Boca Chica
> The director of the Tourism Police, Navy Rear Admiral Lizardo Jorge,
> has denounced that children are being bussed into the southeastern
> beach town of Boca Chica from Santo Domingo and Salinas, Bani to
> sell sex to tourists.
> Hoy newspaper reports on the visit of Tourism Minister Rafael
> Subervi and Rear Admiral Jorge to Boca Chica to meet with hoteliers
> and town authorities.
> Subervi said he had heard that businesses that permit prostitution
> with minors on their premises would be shut down. Jorge said the
> businesses “have ties with sectors with much influence here and
> connections abroad”.
> Hoy newspaper said that four tourist hotels were shut down after
> children had been taken there to have sex with tourists.
>
>
> 10. Air Santo Domingo’s new flights to Puerto Rico
> Air Santo Domingo has announced the start of its new daily flight
> from Santo Domingo (Herrera) to San Juan’s inner city Isla Grande
> Airport. The flight will leave Santo Domingo at 9:15 am arriving in
> San Juan at 10:10 am. The return trip will leave San Juan at 11 am
> and arrive at 11:55 am in Santo Domingo. This is in addition to the
> twice a day flights from Herrera to the Luis Muñoz Marin airport in
> San Juan.

> 14. Seahorses at the Aquarium
> El Caribe says 30 sea horses are now on display at the National
> Aquarium. The sea horses were born in captivity after a pregnant sea
> horse was brought to the aquarium from south-western Salinas,
> Peravia. Aquarium staff told the newspaper that the sea horses eat
> baby shrimp. The exhibit is open at the aquarium Tuesday to Friday
> only.

> ********************************************************************
> DR1 Daily News -- Wednesday, 5 December 2001
> ********************************************************************
> 16. Air Jamaica to fly to Haiti
> Air Jamaica Express announced the start of flights to Haiti from
> Santo Domingo on 10 December. The airline has been operating daily
> flights (with the exception of Thursdays) from Santo Domingo to
> Montego Bay, Jamaica. Delroy Brown, director of Air Jamaica
> Express, made the announcement.
>
> 17. Smallest reptile in the world found in the DR
> The world’s smallest lizard, the sphaerodactylus ariasae (only 1.6
> cm long) was discovered in the Dominican Republic recently by US
> scientists. Pennsylvania State University Evolutionary Biologist
> Blair Hedges and University of Puerto Rico Biologist Richard Thomas
> made the discovery and their findings are published in this month’s
> Caribbean Journal of Science.
> Conservation International reports that the Jaragua Sphaero, or
> dwarf gecko, is believed to exist only on Beata Island and nearby
> parts of Jaragua National Park.
> The Jaragua Sphaero (scientific name: Sphaerodactylus ariasae) is
> named in honor of herpetologist Yvonne Arias who heads the Dominican
> conservation organization Grupo Jaragua. Arias is respected as a
> leading voice for preserving Caribbean biodiversity. Grupo Jaragua
> was formed to advocate protection of Jaragua National Park in the
> south west part of the country. Conservation International credits
> Arias with being instrumental in getting the people who live in the
> area to preserve it. For more information, see
> http://www.conservation.org/xp/CIWEB/newsroom/press_releases/120301.xml
>

DR1 wrote:
> DR1 Daily News -- Monday, 3 December 2001
> ********************************************************************
>
> 1. Coral Marien opens, Playa Grande hotel reopens
> President Hipolito Mejia was up north over the weekend to attend the
> opening of the US$25 million 332-room all-inclusive Coral Marien
> Beach Resort, the second resort to open at the new Costa Dorada
> beach area near Playa Dorada. The hotel is the newest of the Coral
> Hotels & Resorts chain, an affiliate of the BHD Financial Group.
> Coral Hotels & Resorts operates 3,400 rooms in hotels throughout the
> country.
> During his stay in the north, the President also attended the formal
> reopening of the upgraded Caribbean Village Playa Grande in Rio San
> Juan. The hotel was closed for half a year for the refurbishing.
>
> 2. President Mejia visits Cofresí hotel
> President Mejia also had lunch and toured the new Emi Resorts Sun
> Village Beach Resort in Cofresi during his trip to Puerto Plata. The
> Sun Village will open in December with 342 rooms, suites and luxury
> suites.
> President Mejia also visited the Aqua Park and the Punta Marineta
> marina which is going up adjacent to the resort.
> On hand to receive the President were Ludwig Meister, main investor
> in the Aqua Park, Derek Elliot, owner of Emi Resorts, and Enrique de
> Marchena Kaluche, member of the board of directors of both companies
> and the National Hotel & Restaurant Association.
> President Mejia invited the newly arrived American ambassador, Hans
> Hertrell and Mrs. Marie Hertrell, to accompany him on the tour.
> The US$20 million Aqua Park is being built by Deep and Down
> Discovery, a subsidiary of Dolphins Encounters of Nassau, Bahamas.
> At the park, tourists will be able to observe exhibits of dolphins,
> sea lions and turtles, tropical fish and exotic land animals.
>

> DR1 Daily News -- Tuesday, 20 November 2001
> 4. September and October tourist numbers
> Travel to the DR in October declined 22.1%, meaning 35,733 fewer
> tourists came, as reported in El Caribe newspaper. This is a greater
> decrease than in September, when travel declined 16.4%. Not that
> things were booming before… August figures already were showing a
> 3.1% decline over last year’s numbers.
> Punta Cana hotels in the East, which had been immune to the
> international travel slump, also suffered after the 11 September
> terrorist attack in New York.
> Indeed, in August, arrivals to the Punta Cana International Airport
> increased almost 10% from 71,550 to 78,665 passengers. But travel in
> September dropped from 56,558 in 2000 to 52,987 this year, down
> 6.31%. And travel in October suffered even more, declining from
> 58,885 to 48,336, an 18% slump.
>
> 5. Casa de Campo Marina opens today
> The Casa de Campo Marina opens today (20 November) with President
> Hipolito Mejia expected to attend the ceremonies. The Casa de Campo
> Marina is the most sophisticated of its kind in the Dominican
> Republic and possibly in the entire Caribbean. It was built at a
> cost of about RD$500 million. It has 232 berths for boats of
> different sizes, fuel stations, electricity connections and other
> facilities. Eighty seven apartments, 14 villas and a commercial
> center are also on the grounds. The marina was patterned after the
> port town of Portofino on the western coast of Italy.
> http://www.casadecampomarina.com/english/homepageset.html
> The Central Romana is expected to announce the construction of a
> second marina in nearby Bayahibe.
>
> 6. Jack Nicklaus to design three courses in the East
> Golf legend-turned golf course designer, Jack Nicklaus, is in town
> to participate in the announcement today of Cap Cana, a beach,
> hotel, golf and yachting complex located at Juanillo beach on the
> east coast.
> Nicklaus Design will create three golf courses as part of a project
> that also includes eight kilometers of pristine beach coastline.
> The project also includes a marina to service boats passing along
> the east coast of the DR and several five star hotels that are
> expected to be built by major hotel chains.
> Cap Cana is located immediately south of the Punta Cana Marina
> Resort, the Punta Cana Beach Resort and Club Med Punta Cana. See
> http://www.nicklaus.com/design2001/
>

> DR1 Daily News -- Thursday, 8 November 2001
> ********************************************************************
>
> 9. More travellers from Cincinnati, Baltimore and Atlanta
> 2001 could still be a good year in numbers of leisure travellers
> from the United States to Punta Cana, reports El Caribe. The area is
> the most popular in the DR with US travellers and was hardest hit by
> 11 September events which caused multiple cancellations of charters
> primarily from the New York area.
> But Walter Zemialkowski, spokesman for the Punta Cana airport, says
> that while arrivals from traditional destinations such as New York,
> Newark and Boston are down, travel from new markets is up. He
> referred to arrivals from Baltimore, Cincinnati and Atlanta.
> Zemialkowski is optimistic that when cabin fever sets in, thousands
> in the US mid west will also head for this warm destination,
> increasing the numbers from that part of the US.
> Punta Cana Airport numbers for October show that travel overall from
> the US was the same as in October 2000. The area had expected 2001
> to be a record year. Major declines were experienced in travel from
> Argentina and Germany, reflecting economic troubles at home.
> According to Arturo Villanueva, vice president of the National Hotel
> & Restaurant Association, the 11 September events are causing
> travellers to be more discerning when choosing where to vacation.
> “Now the traveller will choose the destination with more care in
> regards to quality and price and we compete better than any other
> destination in the Caribbean,” he said. He emphasized that there is
> no other destination that offers better value for money than Punta
> Cana.
>
> 10. Slow start for winter travel season
> The president of the National Hotel & Restaurant Association, Ramon
> Prieto, said reservations for the winter high season show a 20-30%
> decline over last year’s levels. What is of most concern is that
> tour operators are waiting for the last minute to book the hotels,
> especially in the case of German travellers who make up 14% of the
> Dominican market.
> As reported by Hoy newspaper, US studies show that 58% of those
> polled have plans to travel within the next six months. Another 17%
> show concern for their safety, but 21% are more concerned about the
> economy.
> Prieto said consultations with tour operators show they will
> continue their programs in the DR, but will have fewer seats
> available. The tour operators, nevertheless, have said they are
> ready to add seats if there is a positive reaction by the market.
>

> DR1 Daily News -- Wednesday, 31 October 2001
> ********************************************************************
>
> 2. Deputy minister urges investors to heed the law
> The Deputy Environment Minister, Rene Ledesma, is urging foreign
> investors not to heed the advice of local business promoters who
> tell them that anything goes here and that environmental protections
> do not need to be followed if you have the right contacts in this
> country. El Caribe newspaper reports that Ledesma says the promoters
> are misleading investors and have been a constant headache to the
> Ministry.
> He said the Ministry is studying over 700 cases of businesses that
> have violated environmental regulations. Most of them involve toxic
> gasses or noise pollution (from power plants or trucks) and residual
> water and solid waste pollution.
> He mentioned the recent case of a hotel company that was fined
> RD$1.1 million for beginning the construction of a hotel in Samana
> without having submitted the required environmental impact study or
> having a license to operate.
> Those interested in reporting environmental pollution, can call
> 221-5140 (Gestion Ambiental) or 683-2125 (Procuraduria de Medio
> Ambiente) for more information.
>
> 5. Tourism sector debate
> The Ministry of Culture is inviting to an open debate on the future
> of the tourism industry tonight in the Colonial City. The talk will
> start at 8:30 pm at the Centro Cultural Rodrigo de Bastidas, Calle
> Las Damas, Colonial City (next door to the Fortaleza Ozama). The
> speakers will be newly-appointed Minister of Tourism Rafael Subervi;
> Daysi Perello de Roca, president of Coral Hotels & Resorts; Frank
> Rainieri, president of the Punta Cana Group; and Ramon Prieto,
> president of the National Hotel & Restaurant Association.

> DR1 Daily News -- Friday, 26 October 2001
> ********************************************************************
>

>
> 8. Multimodal port will endanger coral reef
> The Tourism Development Association of Boca Chica is objecting to the
> construction of the Caucedo Multimodal port, saying it represents an
> attack on the environment. Spokesmen for the association point out
> that there is no guarantee the megaport will not damage the beach.
> Hoteliers Julio Aybar and Luis José Cabral told Listín Diario they are
> surprised the project’s promoters have announced that construction will
> start at the end of the year since they don’t yet have a permit from
> the Environment and Natural Resources Department.
> Of particular concern is the port’s nearness to a large liquid gas tank
> owned by power distributor AES. Cabral said “under international
> regulations, this megaport cannot go ahead because the AES has a gas
> tank so close; there should be no maritime activities within two miles
> of it.”
> The association is also concerned about damage to the beaches and reefs
> in the area. “All the research that has been done shows in a clear,
> precise manner that building this project in this zone threatens to
> destroy the barrier reef that protects and forms the Boca Chica beach.”
> Meanwhile, the promoters of the megaport say a study they contracted
> indicated the opposite. They say the benefits it will bring to the area
> will be greater than the negative impacts.
>

> DR1 Daily News -- Thursday, 18 October 2001
> ********************************************************************
> 6. Newspaper requests help for tourism workers
> An editorial in El Siglo newspaper today is calling for a special
> emergency fund to help employees in the tourism sector who have been
> laid off due to fewer tourists arriving in the country. It says the
> fund should pay 50% of their salaries while laid off until at least
> next March or April. This is in light of reports saying demand for air
> transportation and tourist services could drop more than 10 per cent
> globally due to the recession which was aggravated by the events of
> September 11 and the aftermath.
> The editorial also suggests commercial banks declare a moratorium on
> interest and capital payments for six months for the hospitality
> sector. It goes on to say that these measures would have a more
> positive effect on the Dominican economy than the money being spent on
> Plan Renove or the purchase of planes for the Air Force.

> DR1 Daily News -- Friday, 12 October 2001
> 3. More money promised for tourism but “where is it?”
> The government has committed another US$53 million to promote tourism
> in the DR. But tourism officials are still waiting for the first US$25
> million that was promised. The president of the Hotel and Restaurant
> Association, Ramón Prieto, says it’s a great idea to promote the
> country abroad, but the DR is already weeks behind other Caribbean
> countries in promoting itself as a winter alternative destination. He
> says if the promised funding doesn’t arrive soon, it will diminish the
> number of tourists we can expect this season. The newly-passed law will
> ear mark all airport taxes and all revenues from the $10 tourist cards
> purchased by travelers coming into the country to go to the Tourism
> Department.
\
> ********************************************************************
> DR1 Daily News -- Thursday, 11 October 2001
> ********************************************************************
>
> 8. Tone down the sex appeal in DR tourism ads
> A specialist in migration studies, Milady Mata de Vergara, says this
> country should change the way it promotes itself. She says tourism
> brochures show beaches and women in bikinis which leaves a certain
> perception of the country. She compares this to other Caribbean
> islands, such as Saint Martin, where official tourism promotions tend
> to emphasize the family rather than sexy images of women.
> Mata de Vergara says only political will can change the perception in
> some European countries that Dominican women are all prostitutes. She
> says Dominican women are stereotyped in Europe. “Even if she isn’t a
> prostitute, they say she is one.” Mata de Vergara works with the
> Belgian Ministry of Foreign Relations.

> ********************************************************************
> DR1 Daily News -- Wednesday, 10 October 2001
> 8. Hotels and restaurants let nearly 10,000 employees go
> The Dominican tourism sector has laid off or fired 9,500 employees,
> about 20% of the total, in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the
> US. Ramon Prieto, the president of the Hotel and Restaurant
> Association (Asonahores) says the layoffs are the result of low hotel
> occupancy, which is down at least 50% since the attacks. El Siglo
> reports that some hotels are taking advantage of the situation to give
> their staff vacation time. However, it points out that September and
> October are normally the worst months for tourism in this country. For
> example, last year hotel occupancy was at 57% in September and 60.5% in
> October.
> El Siglo reports that hotels in Santo Domingo have suffered the most
> since their guests are mainly businessmen from North America, a sector
> that has greatly diminished its travel since September 11, and
> especially since the US attacks on Afghanistan began. Hotel occupancy
> that normally would be at 60% in September has fallen to 40% in the
> capital.
> In related news, a commission from the Tourism Council and Asonahores
> postponed its planned trip to Europe last Sunday. The trip was
> intended to drum up interest in the DR as a safe tourist destination.
> But the trip is on hold until the government comes through with money
> it had promised for this promotion.
> It had offered to contribute US$50 million, with the first half going
> to promote the country in England, France, Germany, Italy and other
> European nations. The tourism commission is waiting for the promised
> US$25 million before it proceeds with the trip.
>
> 9. Biologist stands up for dolphins’ rights
> Biologist Idelisa Bonnelly de Calventi has asked the government not to
> grant permission to Manati Park in the Punta Cana area to open a
> dolphin pool. She is worried about the effects of captivity on the
> dolphins in the tourist park, where there have been reports of problems
> that she says could compromise the safety of tourists. She says
> training wild animals to interact with people puts them under stress
> and can lead to violent behavior on occasion.
> “To separate a dolphin family group and put them into a tank of
> chlorinated water or small ponds where they swim in circles constantly,
> obeying the orders of a trainer in exchange for small dead fish to ease
> their hunger is a form of mistreatment,” she says. At Manati Park, she
> says some dolphins have already died and only five of the original
> eight dolphins remain.
> Listin Diario reports that in Australia and various countries in Europe
> there is a campaign to encourage consumers not to buy tickets to
> dolphin shows and to demand the closure of aquariums that offer such
> shows.
>
> 10. Jet Ski races in Boca Chica
> The second annual Dominican-Puerto Rican Jet Ski Championship will take
> place at Boca Chica beach this Sunday. Organizer Richard Rodriguez
> said the races will be run in three categories: novice, open and
> freestyle. Forty racers from both countries will be competing.
> He said the circuit has been changed from last year to make it more
> exciting. “We’ve modified the track for this second trial so the
> machines reach greater speeds as they go around a total of 17 buoys on
> a course that’s about two thousand meters long.” Races begin at 10 am
> Sunday in Boca Chica.
>

>

> DR1 Daily News -- Monday, 8 October 2001
> ********************************************************************
>
> 1. Ferry to start crossing to Samana
> 2. American Eagle to start flights to Barahona
>
> ********************************************************************
>
> 1. Ferry to start crossing to Samana
> President Hipolito Mejia travelled to the East over the weekend to
> cut the ribbon inaugurating the improvements to the Sabana de la Mar
> dock and the Elupina Uno ferry. The ferry will cross from Sabana de
> la Mar to Samana. This is good news for tourists in the Punta
> Cana-Bavaro area who would like to visit the caves and impressive
> mangroves of Los Haitises Park or participate in whale watching or
> eco- tourism activities in the lush province of Samana.
>
> 2. American Eagle to start flights to Barahona
> President Hipolito Mejia was in Barahona where he made a payment of
> RD$56.3 million to 23 families whose lands were expropriated 16
> years ago to build the Maria Montez International Airport. The
> payment became necessary in order to start operations at the airport
> which is now privately run.
> The President was also on hand for the start of American Eagle
> flights from Santo Domingo-Barahona, Barahona-San Juan, Puerto Rico.
> Construction of the Barahona airport was started in 1986 under the
> Balaguer administration and finished in 1994. The American Eagle
> flight, nevertheless, is the first regular flight into the airport.
> American Eagle agreed to fly into Barahona in exchange for being
> allowed to serve the Herrera-San Juan route, previously only
> operated by Air Santo Domingo.
>

******
> 1. US$25 million more for tourism promotion
> President Hipolito Mejia has announced an allotment of US$25 million
> for a special campaign to raise public awareness abroad of the
> safety of vacationing in the DR. The contingency fund seeks to
> capture a share of the thousands of tourists who have cancelled
> their travel plans to destinations in the Middle East and Asia but
> could be convinced to travel to destinations with more positive
> tourism images.
> The EFE Spanish news agency reports that 70% of the winter
> reservations to Egypt have been cancelled, both by US travellers as
> well as Europeans. Another country that is suffering major hotel
> cancellations is Turkey.
> The World Tourism Organization says that countries with large number
> of Muslims are most vulnerable to the cancellations.
> During the World Tourism Organization Summit held 1 October in
> Osaka, Japan, Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli of France
> expressed his optimism about long-term prospects for tourism.
> "Experience has shown that tourism has great resilience and great
> power to recover from a crisis; if travel is down one year then pent
> up demand will result in extraordinary growth the next year," he
> told attendees at the General Assembly.
> The WTO reduced its short-term forecast for tourist arrivals in 2001
> from 3% growth to 1.5% growth, reporting that many tourists are
> postponing holidays and switching to destinations that are closer to
> home. But the organization is maintaining its long-term growth
> forecast of 1 billion international tourists by 2010 and 1.5 billion
> by 2020.
>

> DR1 Daily News -- Wednesday, 3 October 2001
> 8. Contingency plan for the tourism sector
> Economist Andy Dauhajre, who is in charge of the Medium Term Foreign
> Financing Plan, has become the government spokesman on efforts to
> ensure the winter season tourism traffic is maintained. President
> Mejia headed a meeting of the tourism sector at the National Palace
> yesterday. Present were the Governor of the Central Bank Frank
> Guerrero Prats, Minister of Finance Fernando Alvarez Bogaert,
> Minister of Tourism Ramon Alfredo Bordas, Minister of Industry and
> Commerce Hugo Guiliani, the administrator of the Banco de Reservas
> and members of the private sector.
> At the end of the meeting, Dauhajre told the press the government
> will develop a contingency plan to attract European, Canadian and
> American travellers who otherwise might head to countries such as
> Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Maldive Islands, Bali, Indonesia and Arab
> nations. He explained that this could be done by making contact with
> tour operators and airlines, and starting an aggressive promotional
> and public relations campaign in Europe, Canada and South America.
> He said there is no time to be lost because competitors such as
> Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda are already moving in the
> same direction. He mentioned that Miami lost about 70,000
> reservations from Brazilian travellers. Thousands of them could be
> attracted to visit the DR.
> The campaign would also focus on markets in Chile, Argentina,
> England, Italy, Germany, and Holland. He said efforts will also be
> made to boost domestic travel. Several hotels are already offering
> attractive plans.
> The terrorist attack in the US has primarily affected travel to the
> DR’s east coast destinations and Santo Domingo.
>

> DR1 Daily News -- Friday, 28 September 2001
> 6. Winter season forecasts for travel industry
> The president of the Hotel & Restaurant Association Ramon Prieto
> confirmed that in the weeks following the 11 September terrorist
> attack, 80% of hotel reservations were cancelled. He said
> nationwide, hotel occupancy dropped below 50%. He said hotels have
> laid off about 20% of their personnel.
> But Prieto trusts the situation will return to normal in time for
> the start of the winter season in November. He said September is
> usually a low occupancy month. He added that the effects of the
> attack on travel in the DR were mostly felt on the East Coast, where
> hotels focus more on US travellers.
> He said Puerto Plata, on the North Coast, has benefited because some
> European charter companies have sent charters there that were
> destined for Asia.
> Alberto Del Pino, tourism advisor to President Mejia, recently
> forecast that the DR would benefit from tourists being rerouted from
> destinations in Turkey and northern Africa. Nevertheless, Prieto
> said unfortunately a lot of Puerto Plata’s traffic is the result of
> rates that were lowered after the 11 September attack.
> For instance, Sun Holidays of Canada is offering a last minute
> booking deal, from 30 September until 6 October at Playa Naco
> Resort, all inclusive for $437 per person. See
> http://www.sunholidays.ca
> Ambassador Bruno Picard of Canada said he maintains his forecast
> that this will be an excellent year for the DR in terms of numbers
> of Canadian tourists. He said that 390,000 airline seats are
> available for the winter season on charter flights. Picard forecasts
> that 290,000 Canadians will visit the DR in 2001, up 45,000 over
> last year’s total.
> “I tell Canadians that regardless of how terrible the attacks on the
> US were, our winter is going to continue to be cold and very long,
> and thus we have the same reasons for coming to the DR,” said
> Picard.
> British ambassador David Ward said that British charters to the DR
> have not been suspended and that operators maintain their forecast
> for a 20% increase in British travellers to the DR this year. He
> said last year 115,000 tourists visited, and the forecast is still
> for 135,000 to visit this year. He said November, December and
> January will be crucial months for the travel industry.
>
> 7. One-day strike in Bayahibe
> The Foundation for the Development of Bayahibe went on a 24-hour
> strike starting at 6 am today to pressure the government to invest
> in the community. Sixty-five boat owners from the beach community
> will not operate Saona tours today. The community complains that
> despite the National Parks Department collecting revenues of about
> RD$1.4 million a month for excursions to Saona Island, none of this
> money is being invested in the area. The foundation demands that at
> least 2% be returned to Bayahibe.
>

> DR1 Daily News -- Monday, 17 September 2001
>
> 8. Boca Chica tourism investors against mega port
> The Boca Chica Pro Tourism Development Association objects the construction of
> the Punta Caucedo megaport after studying the environmental impact report
> prepared by Mouchel Consulting on behalf of the port promoters.
> A study of the report carried out by environmental specialists Francisco
> Geraldes and Omar Ramirez indicates that the construction would endanger the
> coral reefs due to the dredging that needs to take place for the construction
> of the deep water port. Geraldes and Ramirez conclude that the disappearance of
> corals would leave the coastal lagoon exposed to the effects of the open seas.
> They also points out that water sports in the Port of Andres would be affected
> as the recreational craft would be endangered by the large freighters. The
> environmentalists stress the adverse impact the change in the pattern of
> underwater currents would have on the La Caleta scuba diving park adjacent to
> the port.
> Other points that would be a negative for tourist interests in the area is the
> visual contamination by industrial equipment and the increase in traffic along
> Las Americas Highway due to an estimated movement of heavy cargo trucks.
> Boca Chica hoteliers feel that the megaport threatens the US$100 million
> invested in tourism investments in the area. They stress that the area by law
> is a tourism one, not industrial zone.
>
> 11. Travel down from January to August
> Passenger traffic is down 1.2% from January to August 2001 compared to the same
> period in 2000. According to a report in the Listin Diario, the 2,274,529
> travellers came during the first eight months of the year compared to 2,302,248
> last year.
> Non resident foreign arrivals were down 0.5% for the period, or 1,734,697
> arrivals compared to 1,743,561 arrivals in 2000.
> Punta Cana International arrivals were up 2.9%, to 629,232 up from 611,469 in
> 2000. Arrivals to the new La Romana airport were up to 127,525 compared to
> 36,876 at the old terminal. This reflects the growing popularity of the Punta
> Cana-Bavaro resort area and La Romana area resorts.
> Travel to Las Americas of non-resident foreigners dropped from 551,429 in 2000
> to 504,929 this year.
> Traffic to Puerto Plata suffered the greatest drop, going from 534,029
> non-resident foreigners in 2000 to 462,843 this year.
>

> DR1 Daily News -- Friday, 7 September 2001
> ********************************************************************
>
> 2. Bill supports tourism development in new areas The Chamber of Deputies has passed a bill that establishes incentives for tourism
> in new areas. The law gives the Ministry of Environment the right to > decide whether a project can go ahead in an environmentally
> protected area. It also creates the Official Fund for Tourism > Promotion, made up of all the money generated by the sale of tourist
> cards at Dominican ports of entry. The fund will be managed by the > Ministry of Tourism.
>
> 3. New law to promote maritime tourism President Hipolito Mejia > has sent to the Senate a bill that encourages the development of
> private yachting and sailing. The idea is to make the DR competitive > with other Caribbean ports in regards to this type of tourism.

> DR1 Daily News -- Monday, 3 September 2001

> 11. Annual statistics bulletin published by Asonahores
> On occasion of its Annual Trade Show and Exhibition held last weekend in Santo Domingo, the Hotel & Restaurant Association (Asonahores) released its 2000 Statistical Bulletin. It shows that 2,972,000 travellers visited the DR in 2000.
> Ramon Prieto, president of Asonahores, said that US travel to the DR was up 25.9% from 1999, European travel up 7.9%, South American travel up 12.%, Central American up 56.3% and Caribbean up 4.5%. Prieto said the government and businessmen should stop investing in new hotel rooms in order to let demand catch up with supply. He said hoteliers need to concentrate on getting better rates. He said the present 51,916 hotel rooms are sufficient to meet demand. Last year 2,293 new hotel rooms were added.
> In 2000, 97% of travellers used the Las Americas, Punta Cana and Puerto Plata airports. Air arrivals were up 14.5%. Of the total, 94% travelled for leisure, 2.1% for business and 2% to visit family and friends.
>
> 12. Travel seminar in NY
> The Dominican Republic Tourism Board, US Airways & Amigostours.com are holding a two-day seminar on travel to the DR. Participants will receive tools and knowledge to sell the DR to their clients. During the event, they may also sign up for a familiarization trip to the DR sponsored by US Airways. The seminar will be held on 26 September in English, and 27 September in Spanish at the Casa de la Cultura Dominicana (1828 Amsterdam Avenue, Suite 304, New York, NY 10031, Tel. 212 234 8149.) For more information, contact Ray Modesto at amigostours@aol.com or Mercedes Perello at mperello@sectur.gov.do (Tel. 212 588 1012)

> DR1 Daily News -- Thursday, 30 August 2001
>
> 1. New parador shows off natural wonder
> President Hipolito Mejia went west to the province of Pedernales to see for himself the new visitors center built over the Hoyo de Pelempito, overlooking the Bahoruco mountain range. The parador was built at a height of 1,165 meters and features an observatory, rest stop with bathrooms, parking area for 20 vehicles and several mountain trails.
> The Hoyo de Pelempito is a natural marvel that the Environment Ministry expects UNESCO to declare a Biosphere Reserve. The natural depression drops 700 meters and temperatures range from zero in the morning to 25 degrees Celsius at noontime.
> It has a triangular form of 2.5 kilometers wide by seven kilometres long. The depression is bordered by mountains up to 1,800 meters high. The bottom of the hole has a surface of 10.28 square kilometres.
> The parador and its trails are part of the first phase of work the Ministry is carrying out in the province. The Ministry of Environment says 1,434 species of plants have been identified in the mountain range known as Parque Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco. Of these, 439 are endemic to the island of Hispaniola.
> On exhibit in the parador is a satellite photograph taken in 1997 that shows the importance of preserving the forests. The photograph shows how deforestation in Haiti is spreading to the Dominican Republic. News reports say that the dramatic photograph moved President Mejia to strengthen his commitment to avoid deforestation in the area.
> The President announced that the Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial de la Bahia de las Aguilas will be implemented no later than January 2002. The Plan seeks to determine where hotels can be built in order to preserve the ecologically important zones.
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> 9. 10% should be invested in tourism sector
> Frank Rainieri told Listin Diaro that the traditional low government investment in tourism is one of the reasons for the low growth of the sector this year. He said the government does not invest even 1% of what the industry produces for the country. He advocated that the government invest 10% of proceeds and view tourism as a matter of state, not just a concern of the Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry of Tourism recently announced the investment of US$38 million in tourism advertising.
> Rainieri said, “We are happy for the investment in promotion, but if there is not an investment in infrastructure, in the environs, in the prevention of slums in tourism areas, in potable water, in the colonial city, we are patching a hole where air will come out in a year because promotion is a short term measure not a long term one.”
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Received on Thu Dec 13 17:38:24 2001