The Ministry of Tourism is holding a three-day conference on eco and rural tourism in at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel in Santo Domingo. The event focuses on how the DR is rapidly becoming a mecca for eco-tourists and adventure travelers of the Caribbean, with attractions in areas such as Constanza and Jarabacoa, Valle Nuevo, and Duarte Peak in the central mountain areas. Isla Beata, the Sierra de Bahoruco, Isla Cabrito, Enriquillo Lake, Bahia de las Aguilas and Cabo Rojo also provide great potential in the Southwest for adventure-seeking travelers. Minister of Tourism Rafael Subervi Bonilla, a native of the southwestern Barahona, emphasized the attractive possibilities for tourists looking for something off the beaten track. During the conference, experts also pointed out that recent studies indicate there are 5,600 species of flora and fauna, and 36 percent are endemic to this island.