Tired of living off of memories of the glory days of years gone by, Puerto Plata appears to have become a phoenix, and is preparing itself to fly again among the preferred destinations of the Caribe. In the first place, the offerings are now more than sun and beaches. Emphasis is being made on the history and the people of the region. The operation of Ocean World in Cofresi is an added attraction, unlike any other in the area. A marina that will hold 200 boats will be opened at the site in 2005. And speaking of boats, very big boats, one of the biggest challenges facing Puerto Plata is the construction of a new Tourist Wharf to accommodate large cruise liners. At this time the difficulty of moving a large generating facility is hold up things. Finally travel is coming back to Puerto Plata. After three years of very low occupancy, the Puerto Plata area, which includes Sosua and Cabarete, is gaining in popularity. Some properties have halted sales on summer bookings.. A study financed by the USAID revealed that the Puerto Plata area was suffering from serious problems of image, promotion, hotel infrastructure, roads and basic services. As primary tasks to change this situation, technicians recommended promoting the entire area and getting the community involved in the re-launching of the tourist pole. As Johnny Bernal, the president of the National Hotel and Restaurant Association, told the press, the biggest mistake was ?to develop Puerto Plata without taking the community into consideration. What should have been a major focus of development became a dead weight.? Bernal, the owner of two properties in Playa Dorada, gave this ?mea culpa? as he looked at the new policies that will renew tourism in the Puerto Plata area. Several workers that were interviewed by reporter Arelis Pena Brito mentioned the lack of promotion for the area. After the results of the USAID were made public, the hotel association from Playa Dorada, headed by Ventura Serra decided to make some changes. Today, the whole area looks new and sparkles. The association bought the golf course and constructed a convention center, parking for 500 vehicles and spruced up the shared spaces along the beaches and sidewalks. Nowadays the hotels of Cofresi and Maimon are becoming more dynamic in their offerings of complementary activities. Sosua and Cabarete are not far behind with new hotel chains getting established there. Starz Resorts is one of the chains that is opening up new facilities in Sosua.
The fifth Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE) is scheduled to be the marker for the ?before? and the ?after? of the re-launching of the tourist zone. While there is still much to be done, the fact that the hoteliers are now anxious to have their clients get out and into the community is a radical new vision. This vision will allow a push to have the historic center of Puerto Plata with its Victorian houses renewed, will allow investments in gift shops, art centers and cafes. A campaign is now underway to convince the government to return some of the billions of pesos that Puerto Plata tourism generates for the treasury, back into the town.