The executive director of the Association of Hotels & Restaurants of Sosua and Cabarete, Cecilio Mercedes confirmed that 20 of 73 hotels in that north coast beach area have closed in recent years. Sosua businessman Jose Miguel Pimentel earlier had told the newspaper that 15 hotels in the area have closed. He attributed this to the takeover of Sosua Beach by 400 vendors. He attributed this to the takeover of Sosua Beach by 400 vendors and lamented that a destination that had such an attractive town and such a lovely beach had not fared better. Pimentel highlighted that Puerto Plata grew as a tourist destination thanks to the side excursions made by tourists to Sosua Beach. Mercedes said that Sosua is undergoing its worst crisis ever. He said that in addition to the conditions of the vendors on the beach, the area has been affected by potholes in the streets, and high operating costs, such as increased cost of electricity. Hotels that have closed are: Aida del Mar (44 rooms), Auberge du Village (12), Colina, Sol y Mar (72), Coral Beach (54), Coralillo (48), Paraiso (14), Fun Tropicales (78), Horizon Club (202), Hotel Sosua (38), Neptuno Hotel (50), Nino Hotel (28), Palm Royal (28), Palm Village (52), Sosua Fun Club (64), Sosua Paradise 28), Sosua Sun Bay (78), Villas Carolina (73, Villas Chesea (32), Vista Mar (52) and Vista Norte (70). This represents a quarter of the 4,500 rooms in the 73 hotels in the area. "Tourism is a long-term project, thus when problems are not resolved today, they are felt two or three years later," he said. "What we are harvesting is the fruit of years of negligence," he said. He explained the situation reflects the slack of the authorities and the lack of vision of the owners of businesses that did not know how to unite in time to face reality. (21 February 2001)
