Barceló, the Spanish company that spearheaded the re-conquest of Dominican shores by Spanish hotel companies on the island’s eastern beaches, celebrated its 10th anniversary last week. The owners of the Bavaro hotels gathered at the Bavaro Casino resort for a gala dinner honoring employees and business generating travel agencies. Mr. Nicolas Pérez, director general of Turavia of Spain received a special distinction at the event. Don Gabriel Barcelo and his brother Sebastian Barcelo discovered the east coast and that lead to the construction of the Bavaro Beach, Bavaro Gardens, Bavaro Palace, Bavaro Golf and Bavaro Casino hotels, as well as their investment in the Dominican Fiesta Hotel in Santo Domingo. Guillermo Mas, director of the Bavaro hotels, said that more than a million tourists from 30 countries have stayed at them in the past 10 years.