JANUARY 2009
Tourism in Dominican Republic is doing well
An increase planned for 2009
BREAKING NEWS: The investments in the tourist sector of the Dominican Republic showed at the end of 2008 a positive panorama, and could exceed the 11 billion dollars in 2009, reported an official source.
In an official statement published this Friday, the Tourism Ministry said that the increase in the tourism industry is, among other factors, due to the acceleration of the processes for approval of new proposals of investments.
The holder of the portfolio, Francisco Javier García, announced for 2009 an increase, going from 22 million to 44 million dollars, in the national budget intended for the external promotion of the Dominican Republic as tourist destination.
The minister qualified of amaizing
the investments made in the hotel and real projects, which from October to December, reached approximately 10 billion 400 million dollars.
He added that the Dominican Republic acts as a magnet
for the foreign investments.
The Dominican Republic closed the year 2008 in positive as for tourism, its independent source of currencies, with a recording of 4.3 million of visitors during the last quarters and investments for more than 10 billion dollars.
The last year, an average of one million people arrived aboard of cruise liners, a figure without precedent, while a million holiday makers coming from the United States represented 34 percent of the Dominican tourist flow.
With regard to 2007, the figures showed a growth of 10 percent of the tourists coming from Canada; three percent from France, the principal European niche, and a explosion
from the emerging market of Russia, which recorded a growth of 88 percent.
According to the Minister, tourism is the most powerful and decisive sector of the Dominican economy, and it is regarded as the booster
of the economic development of the country.
Las Terrenas Live, 05.01.09
The ten most important Tourist News of 2008
Crucial events
BREAKING NEWS: The designation of a new Minister of Tourism and the consequent change in the style of management of the public sector were evaluated as the most important facts of the tourist industry of the year 2008, by a group of journalists of the Dominican Association of the Tourist Press (ADOMPRETUR).
The journalistic group moreover highlighted, among the significant events of the sector, the reactivation of the Council of Tourist Promotion (CONFOTUR) with the approval of 43 projects, the first effects of the world economic crisis on the local tourism, the world recognition of the country as golf destination and the international rewards obtained by the Dominican tourism industry.
Among the selection of the ten most important actions that the tourist sector carried out during year 2008 there are:
- The rise of the cruise liners industry
- The election of Haydee Rainieri as President of ASONAHORES,
- The opening of the road Santo Domingo - Samaná,
- The participation of the Dominican Republic as host of honor in the Tourist International Fair of Berlin
- The resumption of the flights to the United States with planes with the Dominican licence.
Las Terrenas Live, 06.01.09
Annual meeting of the Tourist Promotion Offices
Strategic Development Center
BREAKING NEWS: A great enthusiasm outlined by the definition of strategies and common objectives, reigned at the time of the annual meeting of the Tourist Promotion Offices (OPT), chaired by the Secretary of Tourism, Francisco Javier García joined together with the delegates of the outside offices of the organization.
To increase the investment in publicity, to project a homogeneous institutional image and to create strategies to collect new niches of market, were the actions carried out by the leaders of the 19 OPT offices which make known our destination in North America, in Europe, in Asia and in South America.
García announced the creation of a Strategic Center of Tourist Development, and reiterated the need for two vital initiatives for the growth of tourism in 2009: an increase going from 22 million dollars to 44 million for the investment in publicity and the opening of 10 new offices, including nine on the United States.
The holder indicated hat they would continue the agreements of Sectur with the Tour Operators, which allowed a greater flow of foreign visitors and of investments in Dominican Republic.
He recalled that during his travels, he could note the big role of the OPT for the growth of the tourism, whose task has an enormous importance in a context of international crisis.
The minister quoted the example of the golf as one of the market segments which our country could exploit thanks to its splendid infrastructures of golf courses.
Dominican Republic was chosen by the Reader’s Choice specialized magazine as the best destination of the Caribbean by the amateurs of this sport.
Publicity, a profitable investment
Isabel Vásquez, director of Promotion of Sectur, explained that the increase in the funds intended for publicity will have a decisive impact in the results of 2009.
The civil servant announced that there were still important niches that the DR has not yet penetrated, like the 45 million of Hispanic residents to the United States, and that they required a unified and strategic action plan
directed towards their characteristics.
Among the most effective media to carry out these objectives, Vásquez mentioned the television channels of Hispanic language, publicity in image in the subways in the United States, as well as in the golf specialized magazines.
Las Terrenas Live, 09.01.09
Las Terrenas wakes up, after two years and half
The Carmen and Duarte Streets asphalted
BREAKING NEWS: The pressure of the Mayor of Las Terrenas, José Alexis Martínez and his meeting at the end of the year with the Ministry of Tourism, the threat of a manifestation of various Dominican associations of the village as well as the good will and the promise of Francisco Javier García, the current Minister of Tourism were necessary to help Las Terrenas for going out of this chaos.
On Saturday, the Carmen and Duarte streets were asphalted, the two main streets of the village.
Las Terrenas wakes up this morning with the relief and happiness to finally be able to circulate under normal conditions.
The continuation of asphalting could quickly take place in the Hospital Street (Calle Mella) and the Sánchez Street.
Once the roads and streets of Las Terrenas wille be repaired, it would be the turn of the Las Terrenas-Sánchez road (by the loma) to be asphalted to then start the great program of the Atlantic Boulevard with the loop Nagua-Sánchez-Samaná-El Limón-Las Terrenas-El Catey.
Once more the saying is confirmed: ¡Juntos podemos !
Las Terrenas Live, 12.01.09
The asphalting work is ongoing !
The result is there, thank you Mister Mayor
BREAKING NEWS: As we said on Monday, we were waiting for the return of the highways departments during this week and the appointment was not missed.
Yesterday at noon, while the inhabitants had pleasure to drive in the main streets of Las Terrenas, those of the Hospital Street saw with astonishment and happiness ten trucks of asphalt arriving in their street and work starting.
José Alexis Martínez and the engineers of public works who accompanied him received the congratulations and the thanks on behalf of the inhabitants of the district.
A real change, as promised by the government, for the peninsula of Samaná, and which starts in Las Terrenas since work of the Atlantic Boulevard still did not start.
The Mayor of Las Terrenas explained that repair of the roads and streets of the village would thus continue in the coming days from the centre town for then extending to the road Las Terrenas-Sánchez, the deviation until El Limón and the beginning of the realization of the Las Terrenas-El Catey road.
Las Terrenas Live, 14.01.09
15 people travelling on a illegal way arrested
From Las Terrenas to Puerto Rico
BREAKING NEWS: Las Terrenas - Samaná. - Members of the Navy arrested 15 people who tried to travel illegally to the close island of Puerto Rico on board of a fragile boat which went away from El Portillo beach in Las Terrenas.
Among the people arrested there are 12 men and 3 women, who for the time being are retained in the detachment of the Navy of Las Terrenas at ends of investigation.
The intelligence organizations of the naval institution make investigations to determine who are the organizers of these illegal travels in order to be able to bring them before the court.
An official statement explains that the arrests of these travellers who try to go away on small and rudimentary board is the result of the reinforcement of the monitoring and the tasks of the intelligence organizations carried out by the Chief of the Major State of the naval institution, Vice-admiral Julio César Ventura Bayonet, with the aim of reducing to the maximum the travels of the undocumented people to Puerto Rico as well as the drug and weapon traffic by sea route.
Las Terrenas Live, 15.01.09
The Ministry of Environment creates a unique office
To accelerate the project’s approval process
BREAKING NEWS: The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARENA) set up an unique office which compiles the procedures of environmental authorizations of five of its dependences, with the purpose to accelerate the request process of the new projects.
Under-secretaries joined together are those of Lands and Water, Protected Sectors and Biodiversity, Marine Coasts, Environmental Management and the Forest Resources.
By offering this information, Ernesto Reyna, under-secretary of Environmental Management, said that with this unique office, the processes should not take more than 60 days before being acknowledged by the different the entities, because in the previous year, some processes could last years because of the bureaucratic dispersion of the SEMARENA.
The unique office is located at the under-secretary’s department of Environmental Management, Plaza Merengue, Avenida 27 de Febrero, corner Tiradentes, in Santo Domingo.
The director of the dependence is Rolando Carvajal, who is managing a team of technicians of the various dependences joined together in a unique office, explained Reyna.
Reyna moreover detailed that the requests will be treated according to the sector to which they refer, according to whether they are tourist, industrial mining, combustible, real estate or others projects and that for each branch there will be specialized technicians.
Las Terrenas Live, 18.01.09
One way in the main streets of Las Terrenas
Duarte and Carmen Streets
BREAKING NEWS: The authorities set up signs on the road in order to inform and make apply the one way in the village after the asphalting of these two last weeks.
On last Tuesday, the Sánchez Street was totally asphalted and speed reducers positioned before and after the schools.
Finally, the traffic becomes again tolerable in Las Terrenas and we are waiting now for the development of the deviation Las Terrenas - El Limon is regulated to allow the delivery trucks not having to enter anymore in the center of the village when not necessary.
Las Terrenas Live, 20.01.09
Heavy rains cause floods in Las Terrenas
The rivers of Las Terrenas and of El Limón in spate
BREAKING NEWS: The strong rains of this morning caused the rising of the rivers of Las Terrenas and of El Limón, stopping transport and traffic in the villages and in part of the peninsula of Samaná.
The road Las Terrenas - Sánchez would also have been cut following a landslide, but according to other people, it acted of a collapse of the road.
We remember the floods of April 17, 2008 (see video) with the spectacular overflow of the river of Las Terrenas, tearing off the asphalt and furrowing the roads.
More information will be communicated as soon as available. But fortunately until now, they are no victims.
Las Terrenas Live, 22.01.09
* After check today 23.01.09 at 7:00 am, the road Las Terrenas - Sánchez is circulable.
American pilots are interested in the Portillo Beach project
Located at 5 minutes of Las Terrenas
BREAKING NEWS: Private pilots coming from the United States and who took part in the Fly In which took place in Samaná, were welcomed in Portillo and they were interested in the Portillo Beach Club & Spa project which is located on the famous beach of this community.
The participants in this excursion, organized by the Caribbean Flying Adventure company, went on the spot of the project, received information on its characteristics and were invited to a lunch on its spectacular beach.
This activity was carried out thanks to the support of the Ministry of Tourism, the Airport Department and the Dominican Institute of Civil aviation.
This tourist complex of luxury villas and apartments, currently in construction, is the only one which includes in its installations a private airport for the small planes, underlined Ramón Prieto, while talking to the pilots and to their accompanying people.
Moreover, it is not far from the airport of Arroyo Barril and from the Juan Bosh (El Catey) International airport.
The El Portillo Beach Club & Spa project, conceived with a low density, located at El Portillo, at 5 minutes of Las Terrenas, includes 54 beach villas and 101 apartments of 1,2 and 3 rooms.
This residence is in first line with 350 meters of sea front, on a quiet white sand beach and on which the crystalline water of existing sources arrives on the property.
The project has a design adapted to the natural resources, in harmony with the environment.
Las Terrenas Live, 22.01.09
The Dominican Republic elected as better tourist destination of the Caribbean
Thanks to its splendid ecotourism attractions
BREAKING NEWS: Diversity, sustainable profile and high quality standards determined the triumph of the Dominican Republic as Best Destination of the Caribbean recognized with the Reader’s Choice 2008 price, granted by the specialized magazine Travel Weekly.
The readers and the experts of this specialized magazine revealed their choice at the time of a gala dinner which took place in Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, to which assisted the under-secretaries of Tourism Fausto Fernandez and Magaly Toribio, accompanied by the director of the Promotion Tourist Office in New York, Lucien Echavarría, who received the reward in the name of the Dominican Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier García.
The Dominican representation expressed its satisfaction, in the name of the Secretary of Tourism, for the fact that the most known professionals of travel industry choose the Dominican Republic as their tourist destination number one in the Caribbean.
They stressed that more than one million American tourists visited the Dominican Republic annually, attracted by the luxury residences, the golf courses and attractive the ecological places which the country offers.
Las Terrenas Live, 26.01.09
The Dominican Minister proposes new strategies to draw the tourists
Strategic Committee Meeting
BREAKING NEWS. - The secretary of Tourism of Dominican Republic proposed this Tuesday to the Worldwide Organization of Tourism (WOT), to develop a regional strategy to draw more tourists in the Caribbean countries.
Taleb Rifai, general secretary of the WOT, considered convenient that the Dominican minister attended the meeting of the Strategic Committee of this group and indicated that the speech of García was a message of confidence for the tourism sector.
After the meeting with Rifai and the regional representative of the Organization for Americas, Carlos Vogeler, the Dominican minister proposed that the principal destinations of the Caribbean set up a strategy to draw new tourists and have a positive and encouraging speech for the world tourism.
He said that now, the world is living crisis situations, not only in the tourism sector, and that had to be seen as an opportunity for the countries to offer excellent attractions, as it is the case for Dominican Republic and not to project pessimistic speeches which will harm the tourist activity.
García explained that during the meeting, they examined what was relating to the strategic vision of Dominican Republic to face the crisis which affects the world and the impact which it could have on tourism.
Within the WOT, they were impressed by the position and the vision which we have to face the crisis situations and by the strategies suggested to have greater benefit for the tourism
, he underlined.
Las Terrenas Live, 28.01.09
Asphalting: Sectur adds a new layer in Las Terrenas
From the Abundio Bridge to the Fishermen Village
BREAKING NEWS: The presence of the asphalting team of the Ministry of Tourism once per week becomes usual in Las Terrenas since the beginning of the month.
Once more, the promises of the new Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier GARCIA were complied and many concrete and regular acts to ensure the development and the repair of the village were performed, as planned in September 2008, as of the beginning of 2009.
Yesterday afternoon it was from the Abundio Bridge, in the corner of the Calle Carmen and the Calle Principal, to the Fishermen Village (Pueblo de los Pescadores) that asphalting was done.
The engineer of work explained that an additional truck was still missing and that another asphalt layer would be laid in the FishermenVillage thereafter.
On the other side of the village, the Cosón road was prepared for a future asphalting with the first repair and the filling of the open canalizations.
José Alexis MARTINEZ confirmed that the Come Pan and Caño Seco districts would be also asphalted.
A local manager of Sectur explained that the work of the Atlantic Boulevard was planned over the next 2 years and that 4 different companies would work at the same time on its realization, of which also made part the deviation Las Terrenas - El Limón.
If 80% of the infrastructure already exists, the heaviest part of this realization will be the Las Terrenas - El Catey direct road through the lomas.
While waiting for the termination of the Atlantic Boulevard, it was confirmed that the repair of the Las Terrenas - Sánchez road would follow the end of work of the streets of Las Terrenas.
Las Terrenas Live, 30.01.09
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