Travel – Page 355

Speaking at the Dominican Annual Travel Exchange (DATE) meeting in Punta Cana last week, Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia stressed the new public-private alliance in the tourism sector. He predicted that the implementation of the recently approved land use plan for the Punta Cana-Bavaro region would mean that visitors to the area this December “will …

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The Dominican Republic stands to be one of the winners if progress is made towards opening Cuba as a cruise ship destination. Michael Ronan, spokesman for the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association said that cruise companies are monitoring the situation and would be ready to take part in cruises that could be launched from Florida to Cuba. …

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Speaking during DATE, Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia said that the Ministry was working closely with Aerodom, operators of the Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata airports, on a plan to stay ahead in keeping and securing new airlift to the DR. He announced efforts to attract more Brazilian travelers who currently visit on charters or …

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During the Caribbean Tourism & Invesmtent Conference, several speakers highlighted the need to change the business model for the development of hotels and resorts. In recent years, a boom in vacation real estate sales lead many developers to rely on taking in deposits for condos and villas to finance hotel construction. But at the conference, …

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Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), forecast the Caribbean will continue to do well, despite the negative numbers posted for 2008 and 2009. He said that the long term travel & tourism prospects for the Caribbean remain healthy, with real GDP growth for the sector expected to average 3.3% per annum over …

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Prime Minister Ewart Brown of Bermuda sent a message to his Caribbean colleagues when he emphasized sustainability when addressing attendants to the 13th Caribbean Tourism & Investment Conference held at the Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda last week. Addressing developers, financiers and businessmen, the Prime Minister spoke of how “a capitalist problem is requiring socialist solutions.” …

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Santo Domingo is becoming a big cruise ship capital in the Caribbean, with the improvements and expansions of the Port of Santo Domingo. The other important ports are the La Romana Casa de Campo Port and the offshore port in Samana Bay. For the event, more than 1,000 cruise industry partners will come together with …

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Santo Domingo’s Chinatown is celebrating the first anniversary of the formal opening of its arches and wide sidewalks in the area with the largest number of Chinese-owned businesses in Santo Domingo. For the event, a special Chinatown stamp issue is planned for Friday, 17 April at 6pm at the “Chinese Migration Gate” on Av. Duarte …

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Ari Barshi, founder of Cabarete’s Laser Training Center and the annual Caribbean Laser Midwinter Regatta, is sailing around the world to promote sailing in Cabarete. This year he will be taking part in regattas in Florida, California, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Spain, and Canada, spreading the word about Cabarete as the “adventure sports capital of the …

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Upon taking office for his second consecutive term in August 2008, President Leonel Fernandez appointed former Vice President Jaime David Fernandez as Minister of Environment and his presidential campaign manager and former Minister of Industry & Commerce Francisco Javier Garcia as Minister of Tourism. Now, both ministers propose to work together for the development of …

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