Visiting World Tourism Organization secretary general Francesco Frangialli delivered to the Ministry of Tourism the preliminary report on the wide scale hotel development of beach areas in Pedernales, an area previously protected with national park status. The development project promoted by Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez promises the creation of 17,000 jobs in the scantly populated Pedernales area. There are 18,000 inhabitants in the entire province of Pedernales according to the 2002 census.
Frangialli stressed the importance of the development of the Pedernales area. The plan contemplates the construction of 3,500 hotel rooms in the southwestern province of Pedernales. Tourism Minister Felix (Felucho) Jimenez said that the government expects that 3,500 new hotel rooms be ready for summer 2007. Construction could begin this coming August.
Josiane Benot, an officer in the Technical Cooperation Department of the World Tourism Organization and Francesc Giro of Fundacion Natura traveled to the area last month for a three-day inspection visit of areas slated for development and to compile documents for the feasibility report.
As reported in the Listin Diario, Tourism Minister Jimenez said that the previously protected Bahia de las Aguilas beach area is only one of the many areas where hotel rooms would be constructed. He said there are 13 beaches in the southwest. Jimenez, nevertheless, did not release the findings of Benot and Giro following their visit.
A habitat for endangered manatees and sea turtles, Bahia de las Aguilas development is legal with the passing of the Sectorial Protected Areas Law that converted the area from a protected area to a national recreational area. Environment Minister Max Puig has been very critical of the law. Hotel development at the Bahia de las Aguilas would violate the UNESCO biosphere reserve category granted to the Pedernales beach site.
Since his first term as minister of tourism (1996-2000), Jimenez has been a strong supporter of developing Jaragua National Park for large hotel projects, arguing the need for employment. During his previous term as Tourism Minister (1996-2000), Jimenez had announced that seven international hotel chains were interested in developing the area.