Puntacana Group is celebrating its 50th anniversary. CEO Frank Rainieri has been sharing insights recalling that the area geographically registered as Yauya or Punta Borrachón became Punta Cana in 1969. Rainieri had the vision of turning the lovely beach that was around a six-hour drive from the capital city of Santo Domingo into a world-acclaimed tourism destination. During his talks on the occasion of the anniversary, Rainieri stressed that it was the perseverance and hard work of many people that created the worldclass sustainable tourism destination and community.
“We are eternally grateful to the thousands of people who during these long 50 years have backed us, in one way or another, starting with those who have been part of the Puntacana Family and made our philosophy their own, allowing us to overcome difficult moments, enjoy successes, and grow,” Rainieri said.
Rainieri recalled how when the first tourism lodging was built around 52 families were living in the area. Today Punta Cana has a population of around 140,000. The area is regarded as the most economically dynamic region in the country.
He recalled how Punta Cana began with 20 rooms in the Punta Cana Club and today is a group that includes lodging in the Sheraton Four Points, The Westin by Puntacana Resort & Hotels and the Tortuga Bay. He remembered that when inaugurated in 1982, the Punta Cana International Airport became the first commercial international airport in the world. At that time, only governments operated airports. Today Punta Cana International is the leading airport in Central America and the Caribbean, with around 8 million passengers in 2018 and flights connecting around 100 cities in 28 countries.
Rainieri mentioned that part of the Puntacana Group is the Puntacana Group Foundation, the BlueMall Puntacana, eight residential communities, two golf courses (45 holes), and the Oscar de la Renta Tennis Center, among other ventures.
Read more in Spanish:
El Nacional
Puntacana-Bavaro
Diario Libre
12 November 2019