The Ministry of Tourism announced that it has requested a RD$700 million budget for next year. Of this amount, half, or US$21 million would be used for promotion. Minister Ramon Alfredo Bordas also announced a reduction in "taxes" that since 1994 had been levied on the operations of gift shops, restaurants, tour guides and transport companies. Resolution 12-200 eliminates the tariffs for issuing, renewing and transfer of licenses to operate these businesses. He also said that in the DR there are 52,000 hotel rooms, and another 7,000 under construction, and forecast that almost 3 million visitors would come this year. In an interview with Hoy newspaper, he said that the DR will work on increasing travel arriving from the UK, Canada and the US. (28 September 2000)
