Felix (Felucho) Jiménez is an economist and university professor. He has worked in the Central Bank and is currently a successful businessman. Previous to his appointment he was in charge of several real estate developments. His political career began in 1971 with Juan Bosch in the PRD. He followed Professor. Bosch out of that party, was one of the founding members of the PLD, and has been on the Central Committee since 1979. He was a Deputy from 1986 to 1990, and was the senatorial candidate for La Vega in 1982, and for mayor of Santo Domingo in 1994, losing on both occasions.
During the first days of his appointment, speaking to the press, Mr. Jiménez said that he will concentrate on strengthening the tourism infrastructure and attracting travelers from the United States and Latin America. He told the press that “tourism will grow under his administration because the new President will support this area which is vital to the economy.”
He called for the different productive sectors of the country to cooperate in achieving the consolidation of the tourist industry.
In a report in Hoy, Pedro Angel Martínez explained that of the total number of tourists that visited the country last year, only 14% came from the United States, despite the close proximity of that nation which is the third largest source market in the world. Some 44 million U.S. nationals traveled abroad last year.
In 1989, the U.S. market made up 31.4% of tourists to the D.R. But by 1994, travel the figure was down to 14%. The main tourist market for the D.R. is Europe.