The Minister of Tourism, Frank Jorge Elías, announced that the Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial Turístico, financed by the InterAmerican Development Bank, the Dominican government and the private sector will be go into effect as soon as the Christmas season is over. The Minister said that the plan seeks to reorganize the tourism structure, in terms of rules and regulations. He said that the plan reclassifies tourist services to conform with international standards and places the country in a better condition to compete successfully with other tourist destinations.
Jorge Elías said that the Dominican Republic is one of the best tourist destination and only needs true regulation to be at the level of other more developed tourist countries. He feels this will help establishments to raise their prices, as it is a way to increase the overall quality. He said that with adequate regulations, the tourist will feel properly protected and this will make him want to return. He said the new plan will be sent to tourist businesses for their review in mid-January.