Travel – Page 493

The charter airline Canada 3000 has grounded all of its flights due to financial problems stemming from the 11 September attacks. Canada’s second largest airline runs charter flights to the Caribbean including several Dominican Republic destinations. It’s not known yet if the shut down is permanent. Yesterday, the airline was granted bankruptcy protection and said …

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Puerto Plata Mayor Ramon Ortiz saluted the arrival of Metropolitan Transport agents (Amet) to his city. He said the Amet officers will assist the municipal police and will help implement new traffic regulations. Puerto Plata city hall announced the purchase of 20 traffic lights for difficult intersections. The mayor said new street signs will also …

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Diario Libre reports that US airlines are now flying with Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) on board. The new security agents are trained to respond to criminal acts as well as other in-flight emergencies. FAMs are authorized to carry firearms and make arrests while preserving the safety of aircraft, crew, and passengers. The newspaper says the …

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2001 could still be a good year in numbers of leisure travellers from the United States to Punta Cana, reports El Caribe. The area is the most popular in the DR with US travellers and was hardest hit by 11 September events which caused multiple cancellations of charters primarily from the New York area. But …

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The president of the National Hotel & Restaurant Association, Ramon Prieto, said reservations for the winter high season show a 20-30% decline over last year’s levels. What is of most concern is that tour operators are waiting for the last minute to book the hotels, especially in the case of German travellers who make up …

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Julio Llibre, spokesman for the Coral Hotels chain, complained yesterday that 23% of hotel revenues goes to pay taxes. He spoke at an open debate held yesterday at the Casa de Bastidas sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. He said that to improve the tourism image of the country more investment is needed in the …

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