In his last speech as president of the National Hotel & Restaurant Association, Frank Rainieri praised the presence of President Leonel Fernandez at the hotel convention as a sign of a change in the government’s attitude towards a more supportive and active involvement in the development of the tourist industry. While the Leonel Fernández government is expected to continue to support infrastructure projects as did the Balaguer administration, there are expectations for funding of tourism promotion and the Ministry of Tourism.
Frank Rainieri mentioned that among priorities of the industry is for the government to provide the funds to complete the sewage and paving of the streets of Boca Chica and Sosua, as well as the construction of beach and coastline protection for Juan Dolio and Guayacanes beaches. He also mentioned that it is necessary that the sewage treatment plant at Playa Dorada be completed, that the highways of Higuey be re-paved, and that the airport of Samana be completed. For Santo Domingo he said it is a priority to rescue the Malecon and convert Sans Souci into a beach club for the hotels of Santo Domingo.
Frank Rainieri said that maintaining the present macroeconomic stability is necessary to promote the flow of foreign investment into the tourism sector and that there should also be an efficient and programmed investment in basic infrastructure to promote economic growth and an improvement in the quality of life of the general population.
He said that as president of Asonahores he hopes to see the creation, by decree, of the National Commission for the Development of Tourism that will operate as a mixed organization, with the balanced participation of those from the private and government sectors.
He also stressed the importance for the State to invest in institutional promotion saying that last year, while Asonahores hotels spent some US$20 million in marketing, promotion and public relations, the Ministry of Tourism had less than a US$2 million dollar budget, of which most went to pay for salaries and overheads.
Mr Rainieri spoke of the private sector investing over US$1,500 million in hotels, the largest investment in the Caribbean.
He also mentioned that 20% of the Gross Domestic Product is generated by tourism, and he predicted that if there is a concerted effort by the government and the private sector the income could be doubled to reach a level of US$3,000 million.