The National Hotel & Restaurant Association (Asonahores) announced it will present a national tourism development plan during the Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE). DATE is the leading trade conference organized to market Dominican travel products to international wholesalers, tour operators, incentive groups, airlines and charter operators. DATE will be held this year from 10-12 April at the Barcelo Bavaro Convention Center in the Punta Cana area.
The comprehensive master plan to be presented at DATE seeks to become an essential tool for investors in the tourism sector. Upon making the announcement, president of Asonahores Johnny Bernal says the presentation will serve as a consistent and coherent framework for sustained tourism development and will establish formulas for land use, define national parks and reserves, and preempt the violation of ecological guidelines when installing hotels or other touristic businesses.
?Unfortunately, not only in the tourism sector, but in all productive areas, the rules of the game are changed and that affects the confidence of the investors that makes everyone?s life more difficult,? said Bernal during a press conference held on 5 March to announce the new proposal.
Bernal also highlighted that travel to the Dominican Republic had declined by 4.5 percent in 2002, which translated into a loss of US$450 million when compared to 2001. He said that 2003 could end with a 5-percent growth if the present improvement in bookings continues and if the US-Iraq war can be averted or its effects lessened.
Bernal highlighted that so far this year there has been a 36 percent increase in foreign tourist arrivals, compared to 2002. He says that average hotel occupancy is up to 81 percent compared to the 64 percent average posted for this time of the year in 2002.
Bernal also advocates for an increase in government funding for tourism promotion plans.
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