In an interview with Diario Libre, Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez advanced that his department has plans to hire a Spanish advertising agency to handle Dominican travel advertising in Spain. Likewise, he said that President Leonel Fernandez himself recommended an advertising company located in Florida to be in charge of advertising in the United States and Canada.
When asked about the construction of hotels within the Park of the East, he said that he would leave that matter up to the Ministry of Environment. He said that Tourism has the second opinion, as investors first need an environmental permission to build. He described the investors as ?very aggressive? to the point they awakened concern mostly in the private sector.
Regarding the development of ecotourism in the Bahia de las Aguilas he mentioned that ecotourism is a very small market that makes up only 1% of all travel. He deemed it ?interesting.? ?I am not appalled that the DR is known as a sun and beach destination,? he said, arguing that Spain receives more than 40 million travelers a year that arrive seeking sun and beach. He said that in October a mission would come to prepare a project for the development of the Dominican southwest and the Haitian southeast. ?The financial assistance for the development of the border requires that joint projects be carried out. That each have of their own, yes, but the investments in tourism are multinational,? he explained.
He told the newspaper that he would concentrate on achieving a better balance in tourism, and providing more complementary attractions. ?I continue to be a defender that the less developed tourism poles should have incentives, and especially for the complementary attractions. What the state does not receive because it installs a theme park, a marina, a golf course, are peanuts in comparison to the benefits it receives,? he said.
He called Samana a sleeping destination. He said he had met with the people of Aerodom who said they would resume the airport in coming months. He said that the good news is that he has paralyzed tourism investments in Las Terrenas in order to prepare a master plan for the development of the area, a contribution of French urban planners. He said they will arrive in October. He said it is important to avoid that slums develop in Samana.
Regarding Santo Domingo, he explained that President Leonel Fernandez has been presented with two projects for the development of the Santo Domingo Malecon, especially in the area of the Sans Souci marina. He said that in either of the project the plan is to declare the port a tourism port, instead of a military port. He said a good cruise ship port terminal would be built as well as a major convention center with two or three large hotels. He said the conditions of the Colonial City need to be improved, especially the security of the colonial city streets, and more cultural activities need to be made available as well as better parking. He said he would be talking about this matter with the Minister of Culture and the Cardinal.