The US government donated a US$1.6 million system to the Dominican passport office. The new computerized equipment for the issuing of passports will be installed at the new passport offices located in the Centro de los Heroes. The equipment recently arrived and is just waiting to clear customs. News reports say that the new passports incorporate 24 safety features, up from 10 of the previously hand-written passports. The new passports are printed in France versus the old ones that were purchased from Colombia. The new computerized passports will now be issued in the cities of Santo Domingo (main office, Herrera, Zona Oriental, Villa Mella, Las Americas International Airport and Santo Domingo port offices). Also in the cities of La Vega, Santiago, Monte Cristi, Azua, San Francisco de Macorís. There will be two offices in Puerto Plata, one in town and the other at the Gregorio Luperón International Airport. The Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata airport offices allow travelers to renew their passports, paying an extra fee, and not loose their flight.Barceló head forecasts 6 million will visit DR by 2004Felix Felipe, who oversees the Barceló group operation in the DR, forecast in an interview in "En Sociedad" magazine in Hoy newspaper that by year 2004, the DR will be receiving six million visitors per year. He estimates that in 20 years, some 50 million tourists per year should be booking Dominican holidays. Today there are an estimated 50,000 hotel rooms in the DR and the country will receive near three million tourists this year. Barceló, a Spanish hotel chain, was the first Spanish group to invest in Bávaro along the East Coast starting in 1983. The area has boomed to become the fastest growing and largest destination within the DR, with about 17,000 hotel rooms in around 10 years. "People can’t imagine what this country is going to be in seven or eight years," says Felipe, speaking from the experience of a hotelier who saw Canary Islands grow in Spain. "Dominican tourism is a baby yet," he explains. "The party has just started." Barceló operates 14 hotels in the DR. While most of its hotels are concentrated in the Punta Cana-Bavaro area, it also owns or operates properties in Juan Dolio, Santo Domingo, La Romana, Barahona and Puerto Plata. Under his direction, the hotel chain is now expanding into theme-oriented hotels. He says they are promoting golf, gambling and soon spa-type vacations. He also said that the Convention Palace the company is building in Bavaro will be the largest in the Caribbean. It will have capacity for 2,400 people in its main hall, and two additional halls with capacity for 900 and 600 persons. It will also offer 40 small halls. The 3,500 square meter construction is scheduled to open in early 2001.
