Travel – Page 627

Eighty two ambulances, four helicopters and 1,200 medical and auxiliaries are part of a prevention and assistance operation to avoid trouble and tragedies during Holy Week. The campaign, Semana Santa ’96, will be manifest on the highways and beaches during the week before Easter. The Minister of Health, Victor García Santos, made the announcement and …

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Defensa Civil has prohibited swimmers from many beaches during Semana Santa. All of them are already considered dangerous and a massive influx of swimmers could result in fatal accidents. The affected beaches include those on the islas Los Pinos and Las Maticas in Boca Chica. Likewise, in the National District beaches of Gringos, Lindas, Manresa, …

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American Airlines and Citibank are now issuing a new credit card in the Dominican Republic called “Citibank AAdvantage”. This was announced by Juan de Dianous, general manager in the Dominican Republic for Citibank and Raul Fiallo, director of marketing and administration for American Airlines in this country. The credit card will permit consumers to earn …

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Olivo de León, reporting from Berlin for the newspaper Hoy, said that Germany has become a battleground for companies, countries and organizations seeking an increase in the market share of the country’s two million who traveled abroad in 1995. He writes that of the total some 400,000 traveled to the Dominican Republic. According to Olivo …

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Speaking at the ITB German travel fair held in Berlin in March, Antonio Enriquez Savignac, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization, forecast that in the next five years the number of international travelers will double. Mr Savignac pointed out that countries would do well to care for their natural resources, as the preservation of …

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The Minister of Tourism, Frank Jorge Elias, traveled to Moscow to participate in the travel show, MITT 96, that was held from 27 to 30 March. Frank Jorge Elías becomes the first Dominican government official to be invited to visit by the Russia government. He felt it was an opportunity to strengthen the trade with …

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Senator for Puerto Plata, Octavio Silverio Galán, is strongly endorsing a bill that would allocate 2.5% of the 5% tax on hotel room income to be used to improve the tourism areas. The bill was approved at its first reading by the Senate, and should pass the second reading. Silverio Galán explains that the approval …

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Dominican tourist industry executives are opposing the intention of the Ministry of Tourism to expand and enforce the charging of fees. The Ministry, according to press reports, wants President Balaguer to issue a decree to confirm this practice. The Ministry has begun charging the fees in order to supplement its meager budget. Reportedly, the Ministry …

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A press release from the Caribbean Hotel Association responds to a recent Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) advertisement in a U.S. travel trade publication which claimed that a cruise vacation is more affordable than a Caribbean resort vacation. “This is simply not so,” said John Bell, executive vice president of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), …

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The city of Santo Domingo has been receiving an increasing number of small and medium-sized conventions and appears especially popular for those of a medical nature. After the holding of several gastroenterology congresses, Santo Domingo has now been chosen for the holding of four events comprising “Gastro Santo Domingo 97” scheduled for November 17-21. Specialists …

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