Seven private airplanes landed at the Arroyo Barril International Airport as part of the winter visitation schedule of the West Indies Flyers, which is U.S. organization with over 8,000 members. The contingent was received by Tourism Minister Ramón Alfredo Bordas, who said that the government is studying the possibility of providing the same low airport cost facilities as the Bahamas and Virgin Islands is offering to this sort of tourist transport. Bordas said that private air travel brings 400,000 tourists a year to the Bahamas and other Caribbean destinations. The group will remain in Samana for five days and then proceed to other Caribbean islands, returning to the DR around January 25, this time landing at La Romana’s new international airport. (16 January 2001)
