El Siglo/Penn, Schoen & Berland survey shows that 93% of Dominicans able to vote feel that the tourism industry is beneficial for the country. This perception is cross-country, varying little regardless the region, age, political inclination, socioeconomic or educational level. Dominicans favor tourism because it generates foreign exchange (53%), employment (38%) and infrastructure improvements (9%). Most negative effects of tourism were said to be: prostitution (52%), increase in drug trafficking (24%) and destruction of the environment (21%). Tourism has its strongest support among the younger sectors of the population. 96% of those 18-24 years old said that tourism was beneficial for the DR. (22 February 2000)
