El Caribe newspaper reports that the arrival of tourists increased a solid 35.9 percent in January, compared to figures for January 2002. Arrivals of non-resident foreigners were tabulated at 256,738 –67,876 more than those registered in January 2002. Destinations for non-resident air arrivals were: Punta Cana: 119,960; Puerto Plata: 56,229; Las Americas (Santo Domingo): 45,817; La Romana: 29,154; Cibao (Santiago): 4,650; Herrera (Santo Domingo): 928. The total for non-resident arrivals (including non-resident Dominicans) stood at 287,735, up from 218,871 in 2002 and 278,891 in 2001. Given the successful increase in bookings made at the Madrid Fitur and San Juan, Puerto Rico CHA Marketplace events, Tourism Minister Rafael Subervi Bonilla declared his optimism for significant increases in arrivals for the coming summer.