2003 Travel News Archive – Page 6

With over one billion dollars invested, 18,000 rooms and producing 25% of the Gross Domestic Product, Bavaro and Punta Cana are gems in the Dominican tourist industry. However, according to interviews published in El Caribe, the other side of the coin shows terribly poor local infrastructure consisting of dirt roads, unlighted pathways, and large potholes …

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The Dominican Republic and Trinidad will soon have a direct air connection. British West Indies Airways announced flights starting 18 November. The airline will fly twice a week to Santo Domingo from Port of Spain. BWIA will be using a A319 jet with capacity for 154 passengers, as reported in Hoy newspaper. The flight could …

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Air Santo Domingo has opened offices at the Satellite Airlines Terminal of 42 and 125 of Park Avenue. Air Santo Domingo today flies daily from JF Kennedy Airport to Las Americas International (AILA) in Santo Domingo. It also operates a daily flight from AILA to Luís Muñoz Marín Airport in San Juan, and two daily …

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El Caribe newspaper points out that hotel occupancy has continued to maintain itself way above last year’s levels, even in the slow month of September. Average occupancy at the larger hotels this year from January-September has been 74.1%, up from 63.9% last year. Punta Cana/Bavaro continues to lead the way with an 85% occupancy rate, …

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Hans Dannenberg, Puerto Plata Hotel Association director, visited Japan to promote tourism in the Japanese Travel Agent (JATA) meeting. He mentioned that Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) consultants say that Puerto Plata is the Dominican destination that is the most attractive for Japanese travelers. The key issue is to put together attractive packages, getting around …

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The Federation of Tour Operators of Great Britain is inviting hoteliers and tourism industry suppliers to a seminar on fire, food, pool, beach and general safety to be held in both Puerto Plata and Bavaro. The Bavaro event commences at 12 noon on 23 October. The workshop will be repeated at the Gran Ventana in …

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The lively music of Offenbach, Milhaud Borne and Prokofiev will be played within the lovely walls of the Royal Houses Museum (Museo de las Casas Reales) at Calle las Damas. The next National Symphony Concert is scheduled for the patio of the museum that is located at Calle Las Damas in the Colonial City. On …

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Manfred Schoebel announced the Sol Meliá hotel chain would build a luxury 500-room hotel in the Punta Cana area. Schoebel, spokesman for the organization, told Hoy newspaper that the newest construction would be one notch above its other two properties in the Punta Cana area and would open in time for the 2005 winter season. …

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El Caribe newspaper reports that Decree 818-03, dated 20 August, provides for the creation of the Hotel Classification Committee. The new ruling replaces the 1984 classification norms and will entrust the committee with the grading of Dominican hotels in categories that range from one star up to five-star deluxe. The committee is to be presided …

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Pablo Ferrer of El Caribe reports that the DR may soon have its own Asimov-inspired ecotourism vacation and residential community located in the mountains of Yamasá, north of Santo Domingo. Legacy International, a Miami-based US corporation, is behind the US$620-million investment in a co-venture with Rancho Verde, belonging to Dominican entrepreneur Maximino Brito. The plans …

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