Minister of Tourism Francisco Javier Garcia has been confirmed in his cabinet position by President Danilo Medina. A graduate in Economics from the UASD and Law from UniCaribe, Garcia has been at the helm of the Ministry since 16 August 2008. He is also an expert in communications and politics, serving as general campaign coordinator for President Danilo Medina.
Garcia heads the Ministry at a time when despite difficulties in source markets, the country is posting another good year and expects to break the five million tourist barrier before the end of the year.
So far this year, from January to July 2012, a total of 2,907,598 visitors arrived by air, up 7.2% compared to the same period last year. This is 171,083 more foreign visitors and 24,208 more non-resident Dominican visitors for the first seven months.
The Central Bank attributes the increase to successful overseas promotion by the Ministry of Tourism and the private sector. The conclusion by Central Bank data analysts is that there is evidence that the recovery in the flow of tourist arrivals has consolidated.
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