The government opened on Saturday the Arroyo Barril International Airport in Saman? for domestic flights and small international carriers, such as American Eagle. The government has spent almost RD$300 million in the expansion of the airport. Arturo Villanueva, vice president of the Hotel Association, says he is optimistic some 15 to 30 flights a week could land there this year. The airport’s capacity is perfect to suit Saman?’s present hotel accommodations, which are distributed among small lodgings of less than 50 rooms. The Interamerican Development Bank national tourism planning study recommended low density hotels and the development of small lodgings for the area and not mass tourism. But Arturo Villanueva, of the Hotel Association, favors the construction of mega hotels in the area. He said investors are lined up to build an additional 6,000 hotel rooms in Saman?, if the government were to expand the airport to receive large jets. Studies have shown that the location chosen for the Arroyo Barril airport is a wrong one, primarily due to the nearby mountains and the lack of strength of the terrain. The expansion of the airport and landing field on site would be too expensive. During the inaugural of the Saman? airport, Minister of Tourism Felix Jim?nez announced that the government contemplates eliminating income tax charges on the construction of hotels, discotheques and restaurants in the Southwest (Barahona and Pedernales) and Northwest (Montecristi) in order to spur the tourism development of those areas.
