The Dominican Republic attracted 34% of all German tourists traveling to Latin America and the Caribbean in January through March, according to travel statistics. For the DR, though, the 119,000 travelers are 13% less than in 2000, reflecting the downward trend in German travel. German long haul travel is affected by economic difficulties in Europe and the weak Euro. (7 June 2001) Dominican president of CHA? Dominican Simon Suarez of Coral Hotels, a Dominican hotel chain, has a good chance of becoming the next president of the Caribbean Hotel Association. The next election will be held during the Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC) at the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, 10-13 June. The National Hotel & Restaurant Association urges all Dominican hoteliers to participate in the conference and to back the candidacy of Suarez. If elected, Suarez could become the first hotelier from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean to preside over the organization. For the DR, it would be a recognition of its hotel industry. The DR has more than 50,000 hotel rooms, by far the largest inventory in the Caribbean. (6 June 2001)
