DR1 Travel News - 13 March 2018

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Boom times for tourism in the Dominican Republic
DR promotion wins second place in ITB Travel Fair awards
Tourism Fair in Barahona
Puerto Plata is first stop of Caribbean Air Rally
Ocean World celebrates its 14th anniversary with a vacation deal
Looking to rebuild the Port of Puerto Plata



Boom times for tourism in the Dominican Republic
Speaking at the ITB International Tourism Fair in Berlin, Germany, Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García highlighted how the Dominican Republic is enjoying the biggest tourism boom in its history. He spoke of the multi-million dollar investments being carried out by both public and private sector to bolster tourism in the country.

At the opening ceremony of the Dominican pavilion at the ITB 2018 in Berlin (in which 184 countries participated), García spoke of the unprecedented direct foreign investment benefiting Dominican tourism destinations. He says this is increased 48% last year compared to 2016. He said this startling economic growth in the tourism sector surpasses revenues generated in free zone industries, telecommunication and mining sectors combined.

García noted that 8,400 new hotel rooms were added in the country in 2017, bringing the total number of hotel rooms to 84,000, the highest amount in the Caribbean region. He said another 15,000 hotel rooms are under construction, and many more hotel projects are in the pipeline awaiting government permits. Garcia announced many of the new tourist venues will be in the south and southwest parts of the country, including Los Corbanitos in Azua and Barahona and Pedernales. He also mentioned several projects are being planned for the provinces of Montecristi in the northwest, and María Trinidad Sánchez in the northeast.

The Dominican pavilion at ITB is 443 square meters, with two floors (first floor of 341 meters and a second of 102 meters). There is a 60 square meter area that serves as press area and lounge. ITB is the world’s leading travel trade show. This 2018, it was held 7-11 March.

http://mitur.gob.do/ministro-de-turismo-dice-republica-dominicana-vive-un-boom-en-la-industria/


DR promotion wins second place in ITB Travel Fair awards
Dominican Republic won the second place for its advertising campaign “Me Gusta”, (I Like It) in the The Golden City Gate 2018 Awards held during the ITB Tourism Fair in Berlin, Germany. The award was presented to Minister Garcia and Petra Cruz (the DR’s tourism director in Germany) by Wolfgang Jo Huscert of Golden City Gate and and Regine Sixt of the Sixt International Car Rental.

The DR tourism campaign was led by Andrés Gil, director general of Made in Spain, the destination agency for the Dominican Republic in Europe. Gil explained the campaign is based on the studies that show the marked interest in visitors in returning to the country for another visit. The audiovisual presentation directed by Fernando Báez of the Dominican Republic competed with 150 videos presented by countries around the world.

http://mitur.gob.do/rd-gana-segundo...den-city-gate-2018-en-la-itb-berlin-alemania/


Tourism Fair in Barahona
Barahona is celebrating its annual Tourism and Production Fair: Discover Barahona from16 to 28 March 2018. The main venue of the event is at the Universidad Católica de Barahona (UCATEBA) in Barahona city. The event is organized by the Tourism and Production Cluster of the Province of Barahona to highlight all that the province has to offer to tourists and business people. The event show cases services and produce in farming, tourism, industry and business. The organizers are building on the success of the first year held in 2017, said Elena Nunziatini, director of the Barahona Tourism Cluster.

Nunziatini says: “The objective of this initiative is to promote the recognition of the southern region as a tourist and productive destination, while promoting economic exchange between the regions, putting the supply companies of goods and services in direct contact with their potential buyers, as well as identifying new potential markets.”

She stresses: "This fair allows us to showcase Barahona as one of the provinces that with the most robust economic development in the short and medium term due to a number of initiatives led by the Cluster and its allies in collaboration with the authorities, the business sector and above all with the overwhelming support of the community, "said Nunziatini.

https://acento.com.do/2018/economia...brara-lo-alto-la-ii-feria-turismo-produccion/


Puerto Plata is first stop of Caribbean Air Rally
The Caribbean Air Rally is underway with its first stop from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA in Puerto Plata. Some 15 private small planes are participating, including pilots from Europe, USA and Canada. The air rally leader this year is Katherine Tobenas, who has visited previously.

The director of the Airport Department, Marino Collante, was on hand to welcome the pilots who arrived to the Gregorio Luperón International Airport in Puerto Plata on Monday, 12 March. The pilots are spending two nights in Puerto Plata. They then leave on the 14th for Anguilla (14-15 March). Next will be 16-17 in Tobago, 18-19 in Bonaire, 20-21 in Barranquilla, Colombia, 22 March in Panama City 23-24 in Limón, Costa Rica, 25-26 in Roatán, Honduras, 27-28 in Cozumel Mexico and 29 March finalizing the tour in Marathon, Florida.

Collante explained the inclusion of the Puerto Plata stop is due to efforts underway with the Ministry of Tourism to promote small plane tourism. The country participates in the Sun & Fun International Fly In in Lakeland, Florida and EEA Airventure Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the United States.

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2018/03/...cogen-rd-para-iniciar-rally-aereo-del-caribe/


Ocean World celebrates its 14th anniversary with a vacation deal
Ocean World Puerto Plata is celebrating its 14th anniversary with a deal for residents in the Dominican Republic where all pay the children’s price of RD$1,199, including lunch, pool and toboggan time, animal shows and habitat.

The family entertainment company is proud of its many attractions and diversity of its interactive programs with live animal attractions throughout its large theme park in Cofresí, Puerto Plata. The company was started by visionary Ludwig Alfred Meister, who observed the tourist potential of the area and invested to provide a world class entertainment site for the north coast.

Ocean World promotes itself as the first water park where animals and their visitors enjoy a habitat and safe environment to be together. This is complemented by many areas for relaxation and family fun.

Among the animal interaction programs offered to the general public are: meeting and swimming with the dolphins, meeting with sea lions, sharks and stingrays; shows of sea lions, dolphins, birds and sharks.


Looking to rebuild the Port of Puerto Plata
The Dominican Port Authority (APD) wants to renovate the present Port of Puerto Plata, in downtown Puerto Plata as a multi-purpose port. The port renovation would prepare the city to receive cruise ships. The site is walking distance from the leading attractions of the city. But the government also wants it to serve cargo vessels.

The APD announced on Monday, 12 March 2018, a tender for the construction, reconstruction and development of infrastructure under the concession model. The director of the ADP, Víctor Gómez Casanova, said that this project is a priority of the Medina administration’s efforts to improve the Puerto Plata as a tourist destination. The operation of the Carnival Cruise-owned Amber Cove port, some eight km south of the city in Maimón, has been an all-around success.

"Our goal is to implement a Port Infrastructure Plan through a public-private partnership that maximizes the potential and capacity of the port of Puerto Plata, thereby promoting greater growth in the flow of cruise tourism by encouraging private investment," said Gomez Casanova.

The announcement of the quest for a builder of the port comes at a time when cruise sales are doing well in the region, with Caribbean cruises reporting a 3% rise in bookings in 2017.

http://www.7dias.com.do/economia/20...ion-para-reconstruir-puerto-puerto-plata.html