Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduardo Latorre said he favors the signing of a tourism treaty with Haiti based on the fact that in future years more tourists will seek multi-destination vacations seeking to encounter different cultures. Nevertheless, he said that plans for joint promotion and marketing will necessarily depend on the support of the tourism sector of the country. Yesterday, the National Hotel & Restaurant Association openly opposed the carrying out of joint marketing and promotion packages with Haiti hotels due to that country’s negative image. Defending the agreement that could be signed when President Leonel Fernández visits Port-au-Prince on 21 June, Haitian Ambassador Guy Lamothe says, "Tourists that come from Europe don’t think they are visiting the Dominican Republic, for them they are visiting the island of Hispaniola." Lamothe said that one cannot see things in the short term. "We are about to enter a new millennium in two years and we share the island," he said. He said that many tourists that travel to Puerto Plata already book excursions to visit Haiti. Minister Latorre said that the private sector should have been consulted prior to the completion of the talks with Haiti over the tourism agreement.
