The rise of the hotel industry in the Bavaro and Punta Cana areas in the province of La Altagracia, on the east coast of the Dominican Republic, has created 100,000 direct and indirect jobs and displaced cattle as the number one employer. The existence of the tourism industry in La Altagracia has also served to draw more people into the area, adding nearly 100,000 people to the province over the last 13 years. The provincial capital, Salvaleon de Higuey, was known almost exclusively as the seat of the dioceses of Our Lady of Grace, the patron of the Dominican Republic and the cathedral that bears Her Name. Now, because the tourism industry has created a demand for RD$2.0 billion in goods and services, 2,000 new businesses have been created in the province over the past seven years, including bus lines, technical vocational schools, exclusive private schools and medical facilities. Banks, supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants and telecommunication centers are also part of the mix. The list is nearly endless. By 2006, the authorities are expecting the province to have 47,000 hotel rooms that will have to be serviced by the people of La Altagracia.