all from DR1 newsletter several dates
12. CTO Statistics
The Caribbean Tourism Organization’s recent statistics shows that in the
first six months of the year, the DR has received the most visitors in
the Caribbean. A total of 1,181,921 tourists are reported up to May of
this year. Bahamas is listed second, with 679,098 visitors through May.
Cuba received 501,866 visitors through March. Cuba showed the largest
percentual increase in visitors – 33% over the same period in 1998.
10. Occidental takes over Reina Cumayasa
Occidental Hotels took over the operation of Hotel Reina Cumayasa, in La
Romana. Occidental signed a 10-year contract withGrupo Mongo for the
operation of the 50-room hotel. Occidental has plans
to build an additional 200 new rooms at this development, as well as to
build a golf course. The hotel would then be an attractive destination
for scuba divers (Catalina Island is nearby), golfers, small conventions
and incentive markets. With the addition of the 200 rooms to the Reina
Cumayasa, Ventura Serra, Occidentals head in the DR, said the Spanish
hotel chain would own up to 3,000 hotel rooms. The chain is opening the
800-room Flamenco Beach at year's end.
4/8
9. Hotel sectors want lower prices of airplane fuel Rafael Blanco Canto,
president of the National Hotel & Restaurant Association, told the
Listín Diario that during the meeting of hotel industry leaders with
President Leonel Fernández to discuss the state of the tourism industry,
they petitioned the government for a reduction in the price of aviation
fuel. One of the leading problems affecting the growth of the tourism
industry in the DR is the lack of airline seats. The hotel sector feels
that by keeping fuel prices above area average, the government is
discouraging new airlines from flying here or increasing their flights.
The New York-Santo Domingo, Miami-Santo Domingo and San Juan-Santo
Domingo air routes are among the most profitable in the world because of
the combination of ethnic and tourist
travel. But the tourism sector needs to encourage airlines to open
alternate routes in the US that would be attractive to tourists. Hotel
spokesmen feel the reduction of the price of airplane fuel would help.
The private sector also requested that the government expedite
disbursements of resources to the Ministry of Tourism. They would like
the government to invest US$45 million in an advertising
campaign. The hoteliers also delivered to the Presidency an immediate
action plan that seeks to bring order to the tourism zones.
30 /7
-- 5. Minister of Tourism says tourism grew 10% this year Minister of Tourism Felix Jiménez said that tourism grew 10% in the first seven months of 1999 compared to the same period in 1998. The number of travelers had increased 4.7% during the same period from 1997 to 1998. Jiménez said that the celebration of a National Tourism convention will have little effect on the problems confronting the sector. Sectors have called for the celebration of the convention, but Jiménez seems to feel it is a waste of time. Jiménez has said that his department has only received 30% of moneys allocated in the 1999 Budget. For example, he says that the Ministry marketing plan stipulates the country should be spending US$18 million on promotion, and only US$3 million in funds have been available. One of the major problems affecting the profitability of the tourism industry is the constant increase in the supply of hotel rooms. This year alone, some 6,000 rooms are expected to be added to the hotel room inventory that already is the largest in the Caribbean, with some 45,000 rooms.
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