Abdallah Castillo, director of the Dominican Republic Tourism Board in Canada, a former lawyer and hotelier, wants to update that image. Make no mistake: The polished, handsome Dominican, who has studied or worked in a half-dozen countries, is content with Canada's loyalty. Tourism is the island's No. 1 industry, he says, and "Canada is our No. 1 market." Canadians were also the first tourists to the island, he says, starting in 1967.
Castillo's goal is simply to convince Canadians there's a whole other world beyond the perimeter of their all-inclusive resorts -- and that many of the island's new offerings are decidedly upscale. Small luxury hotels such as Tortuga Bay, Casa Colonial and Nicolas Ovando are springing up on the island. Samana, a new white-sand destination on the north coast, is being planned as an upscale oasis
