The Roco Ki tourism project being built in the Dominican Republic will call for an estimated total investment of US$90mn in infrastructure works, a project promotion official revealed during the 6th Latin American Leadership Forum, held in Miami this week.

The initiative is being developed in Punta Cana, on the country’s eastern coast. Infrastructure development for the initiative was divided into two phases, of which the first will require an investment of US$40mn, the official said.

First stage works include local road development, the construction of an 8-9 km aqueduct to provide the area with potable water, and power and communications infrastructure.

Authorities are currently planning each individual project in the tourism complex and some are already underway, but many have yet to be carried out, making this an attractive opportunity for investors, the official said.

Access from the local airport to Roco Ki will improve once a new boulevard connecting the Punta Cana airport to the area is finished.

Travel time from the tourist resort area to international airports La Romana and Las Américas is also expected to improve once the construction of the highways connecting the terminals to the Punta Cana area is completed, the official said, adding that these two initiatives are not included in the US$40mn.

The remaining US$50mn investment will take place during the second phase of infrastructure development.

Authorities have yet to determine when to carry out this phase and which projects it will include. These issues will be defined depending on the success of the complex.

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In a special visit to Cap Cana, Punta Cana’s premier luxury resort and real estate community, Donald J. Trump held a press conference to highlight the many recent developments in his Trump at Cap Cana project, announcing a new condo hotel, beach club and world-class golf courses on site.

Accompanied by Dr. Ricardo Hazoury, President of Cap Cana’s Board of Directors, and Fernando Hazoury, Vice President of the Cap Cana Board, Trump expressed his passionate belief that “Cap Cana is one of the most wonderful places in the world, known world wide for its highest level of luxury and exclusivity - with beautiful natural surroundings as well as a solid plan for its development.”

Dr. Hazoury expressed his pride in the Dominican Republic and its recognition as a prime destination for luxury real estate tourism development, attracting great brands and foreign investment that make significant contributions to the national economy. “This is the future of our country.”

Trump has invested an important sum into this project which will increase over the maturity of its development. He emphasized the country’s stability and safe climate, as well as Cap Cana’s solid reputation as his main reasons for making this ongoing investment.

“The present real estate crisis in the United States has not affected Cap Cana, as its property owners do not come from one single country, but rather from all over the world. My perception is that within the next 12 months, the situation in the United States will resolve and will stabilize.”

Trump also announced that Hanse Golf Course Design Inc., one of the leading international golf course design companies, will be designing the first of Trump at Cap Cana’s new golf courses, Farallón and Dolinas, perched well above sea level on the project’s stunning bluff.

The team at Hanse Design firmly believes that the world’s best golf courses begin with the quality and foundation of the land. The supervision of this construction process is constant and committed through all its personnel in each international project, as is the case for Trump at Cap Cana.

The bluff’s courses will have strategically placed challenging sand traps, greens, and will be close one another without interfering in the development and design of the other course. Farallón, which consists of 7,215 yards of championship golf, is set amongst natural flora and a landscape dominated by the sand and sea, with three fabulous holes bordering the cliff face. Dolinas, boasting 7,290 yards of championship golf, will have a clean and clear native landscape, bordered by the abundance of trees, flowers, and spectacular dolinas.

About Cap Cana

Cap Cana is the most important tourism and real-estate project of the Caribbean. With a master plan investment projected at $1.5 billion, the first stage of the project will be developed in a span of 12-15 years and comprises an area of 35 million square meters (8,680 acres) of a total of over 120 million square meters (30,000 acres); 5.5 kilometers (3.5 miles) of virgin beaches and privy to a privileged climate. In its initial phase, the project will have more than four 5-star hotels, five golf courses, three of them being Jack Nicklaus Signature Courses, one of the most complete and modern marinas in the Caribbean and a total of 5,000 residential units and 500 hotel rooms.

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If you think the property market is cooling, think again. Dominican Republic off plan property is currently one of the hottest deals for investors. Attracting great interest at the moment is the Punta Perla Golf Resort on the eastern tip of the coastline.

Santo Domingo.– The Dominican Republic has long been a favourite golfing destination for the rich and famous, including many US presidents. With 21 golf courses, including stunning oceanfront fairways, it’s easy to see why the country is one of the world’s most attractive golfing hotspots.

Tourism is the biggest earner, and there’s an opportunity for the investor around every corner. Plus, with direct flights from the UK and only 4 hours’ time difference, it’s easy to reach to manage an investment.

In this thriving property market foreign investors are increasing by the day. Many Dominican Republic property values have doubled in just a few years, and Punta Perla investment property looks set to follow. Plus, with an influx of 4 million international visitors to the country each year (and likely to double by 2015), the potential for property rentals is huge. The Dominican Republic also has one of the highest hotel occupancy rates anywhere in the world – a clear indicator that this Punta Perla investment opportunity is one not to be missed.

The Punta Perla Golf Resort, located at Punta Cana, offers opportunities for the investor and visitor alike. Golfers will enjoy three 18-hole world-class signature courses, designed by Colin Montgomerie, plus the Golf Academy.

Guests can also make the most of watersports, scuba, snorkelling, paragliding, horseriding at the equestrian centre, tennis, polo, the best spa in the Caribbean, luxury 5-star hotel, pools, shops, bars and restaurants, cinema and entertainment, business centre, casino and an onsite medical centre. With so much global competition in the golf resort market, Punta Perla is determined to outshine them all.

The golf resort itself links in with a 400-mooring marina, tropical village and Beach Club. Punta Cana International Airport is also just a short drive away. The Punta Perla Golf Resort is set in a stunning 2,700-acre tropical paradise. It promises to be one of the most exclusive and prestigious golf resorts in the world, with something for everyone and for all ages.

Just being there, you could easily believe you’ve died and gone to heaven — not just because of the year-round summer temperatures, the crystal waters, oh-so-blue skies and sun-kissed beaches, but also because of the significant financial incentives to investors buying before the end of January 2008, including cashback on completion, a guaranteed buyback schemes with 30 percent bonus, 10-year tax incentives, guaranteed rental income and a shared rental ‘pool’. And all of this for prime beach-front real estate in an eco-conscious development.

The 8,000 properties, most with terrace and Jacuzzi, include villas, apartments, penthouse suites, townhouses and millionaires mansions. Punta perla off plan properties range from $245,000-$1.4m and are built with low-density in mind.

The Dominican Republic has a long international history, being the first permanent European settlement in the Americas with the first European-built road system. The capital, Santo Domingo was also the first colonial capital in the Americas. It’s a tropical paradise – so beautiful that Christopher Columbus almost didn’t go home! And now the prospects for capital growth are just as appealing as the landscape itself.

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