2007 Travel News Archive – Page 7

The US Department of State has sent out a reminder that all travelers will once more be required to present valid passports for re-entry into the US as of 1 October 2007, in compliance with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) aimed at strengthening border security. The WHTI passport requirement for air travel went into …

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Sun Village Resort & Spa will be hosting the first-ever Ball Hockey Tournament at Cofresi, Puerto Plata from 1-8 December 2007 in partnership with The National Hockey League Alumni Association. Some of the players confirmed to attend include Chris Nilan, Gary Leeman, Dave Schultz, Paul Coffey, two-time Stanley Cup winner Mark Napier and several other …

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Casa de Campo is promising that the recently announced 200-room Four Seasons Casa de Campo Resort will be the most luxurious beach hotel in the country. Eddie Creed, one of the founders of the Canadian chain, said that the owners of Casa de Campo are going all out with the project. He said the US$120 …

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Viva Wyndham has become the first Dominican hotel to receive the rigorous ISO 9001:2001 certificate of accordance with standards of quality management systems in the range of an all-inclusive hotel property. The company says the certificate is in line with the company’s commitment to providing guests with exceptional service. The certification covers the seven properties …

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The Ministry of Tourism announces that 3,025 new hotel rooms could be on the market in 2007, opening on the north and east coasts. The Ministry records show that there are currently 63,206 tourism hotel rooms, bringing the projected new total to almost 70,000 rooms, maintaining the destination’s leadership in the Caribbean, outside of Mexico. …

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Casa de Campo is taking luxury resorts one step further announcing the start of construction of a Four Seasons fronting the Caribbean Sea in La Romana. Leading contemporary resort architect, Mexican Diego Villasenor has drafted the plans for the luxury hotel. Eddie Creed, one of the founders of the Four Season hotel chain, explained on …

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The big luxury resort brand names are coming to the DR. The DR is revving up for the start of the major luxury resort development, on the tails of the many successful second home vacation communities. Four Seasons announces it is ready to start building in Casa de Campo in La Romana. Ritz Carlton is …

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Of special interest to small hotel operators is the Caribbean Small Hotels Retreat organized by the Caribbean Hotel Association in Bridgetown, Barbados for this coming 26-28 September. The workshop will promote valuable interaction between small hotel owners and operators in the region. The two-day meeting, sponsored by the Barbados Tourism Authority and Caribbean Airways, has …

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Travel from the US to the DR continues to slide. The DR has not escaped the generalized slump in US travel to the Caribbean. Impulse travel has suffered in the wake of the new passport rule, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace of the Caribbean Tourism Organization has said. Travelers can no longer book a last-minute getaway and rely …

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A strengthening Canadian dollar and economy, on the positive side, is boosting Canadian travel. Canadian travel increased from 427,074 travelers to the DR in 2005 to 509,323 for 2006. Better yet, the first six months of the year are showing 395,612 arrivals, compared to 286,975 for Jan-June 2006, representing a significant increase of 37%.