Tourism Ministry says ‘Dominican Republic…Has it All’

“Dominican Republic… Has it All” is the Tourism Ministry’s (Sectur) slogan to promote the country locally and abroad, as “a mature” destiny, with potential attractions far beyond sun and beach.

Speaking of the slogan in Dominican Republic’s stand in the International Tourism Fair Fitur 2009, Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia said it’s a new concept to project the country’s diversity of attractions including nature, adventure, historical and cultural tourism.

“This slogan will mark the start of an aggressive international ad campaign for the world to know that the only thing Dominican Republic lacks is snow.”

He said adventure and cultural tourism will be re-launched, and the design of the plan “Tourism is for all” is in the works, to spur Dominicans to be tourists within their own country.

Garcia Also noted that Sectur develops several projects, such as the National Road Signs Plan and an inventory of the entire country’s tourist attractions, to publish literature of easy access for foreign as well as local visitors.

“We want Dominicans to do internal tourism, just like the tourists who visit us.”

Canada ambassador expects more tourists, investments to Dominican Republic

Canada's ambassador Patricia Fortier said the growth perspective in the flow of tourists and investments from her country to Dominican Republic are promissory for 2009.

The diplomat, who met with Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia to discuss the bilateral tourism agenda, stated her country’s interest in bolstering agreements on Canadian cooperation and investments.

Fortier said there’s currently “an umbrella of concrete possibilities” to expand the cooperation with the Tourism Ministry (Sectur), given the country’s increasing importance as a tourist destination, as shown by the sharp increase in Canadian tourists in the last five years.

The ambassador said she shares Garcia’s optimism with the increase of tourists from Canada, despite the economic crisis in the international market.

Only the United States surpasses Canada in the number of tourists, and posted a 17.9% jump last year, with 561,534 at the close of November, according to recent figures of the Central Bank.

Dominican financial system posts gains of more than RD$12B

Dominican Republic’s financial system posted after-tax gains of more than RD$12 billion, or RD$2.6 billion more than the previous year, said a Banks Superintendence report released today.

“Of the total of these gains after taxes, multiple banks made RD$10.2 billion, almost RD$2.0 billion more than 2007, and equal to a yield of 39.1% on paid capital. The savings and loans associations poster gains of RD$1.2 billion, equal to a yield of 8.3% with respect to their asset reserves," it said.

The report, Dominican Financial System During 2008, notes that the world’s economy underwent “an atmosphere of great turbulences in international the financial markets, which brought about the deceleration of the majority of the developed countries, the fall of the demand for goods and services, the contraction of international credit, as well as the increase the financing costs.”

“This international financial conjuncture presented some challenges at the local level. Those challenges were faced by measures of economic policy,” adds the report, released in a press conference headed by Banks Superintendent Rafael Camino.

Top Dominican hotelier has a plan to develop Higuey

For the hotelier Frank Rainieri there’s a need to turn this city into an attractive community for tourism so it serves as an important complementary offer, and called on all the local organizations and the government to work to approve a Strategic Development Plan 2010-2020.

In a conference with business and community leaders, and authorities Rainieri suggested that bishop Nicanor Peña, with the support of the La Altagracia Tourism Cluster, immediately convene the presidents of all provincial organizations to an assembly to choose the Strategic Development Council and a Technical Committee to immediately begin the work for the Strategic Plan.

Rainieri said the experience of the Puerto Plata and Santiago Tourism clusters with the Strategic Development Plan 2000-2010 has been positive, and asked that they be taken into account and to apply them to Higuey’s reality.

He said since tourism is the region’s main economic activity, the La Altagracia Tourism Cluster must work to organize and bring all the industry’s sectors together, to break with the idea that the Government must provide everything.

The president of the Group Cana Punta added that the project “Higuey 21st Century” must count on a budget contributed by all the participant organizations in accordance with their possibilities, because “it’s good that it costs something to us all, to feel that we are owners and committed to it.”

DR World Music Festival takes place this weekend

The DR World Music Festival will take place at Sea Horse Ranch, between Sosua and Cabarete, for 3 nights, next weekend January 23-25.

Music lovers will enjoy the performances of SonAbril, Xiomara Fortuna, El Prodigio, El Batey, Son+Cristo, Soulibre, Cultura Profetica and Groundation, among other bands and artists.

The festival kicks off at 8:00 pm with Soulibre, a reggae-funk-alternative band, formed of a group of young, talented musicians.

Sans Souci a new US$55M cruise ship port in
Santo Domingo

With the presence of distinguished personalities of the local and international tourism industry, President Leonel Fernandez cut the ribbon of the new Sans Souci terminal at a cost of US$55 million , with the arrival of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship “Vision of the Seas,” that will use Santo Domingo as its hope port home during the current cruise season.

In his keynote speech Sans Souci Ports president Lisandro Macarrulla cited the project’s benefits for the country. “Faced with the world’s economic situation and its possible impact on the country, it becomes essential that a project of that nature continues its development process within the established program. The operation of the new terminal and Don Diego port will create about 4,500 direct and indirect jobs.”

He said the project’s first stage includes the construction of two terminals capable of docking three ships at once and after five years, a third and larger terminal will be built, to receive ships of up to 5,000 passengers.

So far the investment in the terminal, built on around 11,000 square meters, is 55 million dollars, Macarrulla said, but placed the final figure at around US$900 million.

In its different stages the project includes constructions of high rise apartments, hotels and convention centers that will be built on lands of the Navy base, which will be transferred shortly to the community Boca Chica.

Dominican Environment Ministry flexes its muscle, demolishes club in Bayahibe

The Environment Ministry (Semarena) Wednesday morning began the demolition of a nautical club built in a protected area in Bayahíbe near the Dominicus hotels, La Altagracia province.

Semarena’s demolition order was executed by La Romana provincial offices, headed by Yuma region coordinator Andy Omar Johnson.

The official confirmed the measure to newspaper Diario Libre and said in the documents of the structure appears the engineer Martìn Concepciòn Muñoz, representing the company Inversiones Blue Eges.

However, it was learned that Concepciòn represents Italian investors who neglected the rules and violated several SEMARENA dispositions to build two, three story structures and illegally occupied an area of the beach.

It was reported that despite being warned to halt the construction, they in fact accelerated the works.

Police agents accompanied the official to carry out the measure, including personnel of SEMARENA, which has taken several measures aimed at preventing damages to the zone’s ecology and the environment in the last few months, especially bans on constructions in and around protected areas.

Santo Domingo can be the Caribbean’s most important destination, says mayor

National District mayor Roberto Salcedo said Thursday that the Dominican capital has all the attributes to become the most important tourist destination in the Caribbean.

He said the City Council works hard to recover the entire coastline along the Capital’s Malecon, aimed at making it more attractive and increase the number of foreigners who visit. Crews work continuously in the first stage to recover the section from the harbor entrance to the Maximo Gomez Avenue, along the Malecon, works he said are expected to conclude this year.

“The National District has all the conditions to become the most important tourist destination in the Caribbean. We have the first cathedral and the first university, apart that we have a top level hotel infrastructure."

Salcedo spoke during a reception for a delegation from Pontevedra, Spain, headed by its president, Rafael Louzán.

Tourism wants to jump start Bayahíbe this year

Dominican Republic-. The Tourism Ministry will

implement a project this year to develop a tourism

enclave in the Bayahíbe municipal district.

The initiative is part of the Territorial Ordering Plan, which includes the reconstruction of the beach and improvement of the docks.

Manuel Nolasco, Tourism vice minister in Yuma-Bayahíbe, said the plan will spur the growth of quality tourism and benefit the population. “It addition, the country’s biggest movement of tourist in excursions is in Bayahíbe.”

The official said the project includes the construction of a pier, and to regulate the activities of the many boats and companies that deal with tourists, “and also decontaminate the most beautiful beach which we have.”

Although as many as 3,000 tourists visit Saona Island daily, a new wharf would make the ecotourism and cultural destination more attractive, Nolasco said.

Bayahibe, Dominicus, Boca de Yuma and San Rafael del Yuma form part of a tourism enclave where in addition to Saona and Catalina islands, has important natural resources such as the National Park of the East, the country’s most visited.

Dominican government expects US$2.4B in foreign investment 2009

The government expects around US$2.4 billion in foreign investments this year, announced several officials in the National Palace last night. They include housing, with participation of entrepreneurs form Spain, United States and the country, according to the officials.

Construction on some of those housing projects is set to begin in the next few days, they said.
Tourism, free zones, mining, agribusiness, biofuels, renewable energy are among the proposed projects, standing out the construction 5,000 houses for people of low income.

The officials said the houses are the first of 100,000 that Spanish, American and Dominican companies plan to build in a period of five years, to meet the existing deficit.

The details on the foreign investments, including the construction of greenhouses, were provided in a press conference in the National Palace, by the director of Presidency’s Press Rafael Núñez; Dominican Republic Export and Investment Center (CEI-RD), Eddy Martinez; National Competitiveness Council, Andres Vanderhorst, and of Free Zones, Luisa Fernandez.

Martinez said construction of the first stage of the 5,000 houses will begin in the next few days, by the Spanish and United States developer H2, with real estate experience in the Dominican capital.

He said other projects that will generate jobs include hotels, energy, as well as US$50 million in greenhouses, to be built in different agricultural of areas the country.

The CEI-RD chief said direct foreign investment will surpass US$2.4 billion this year, with the economic perspective of sustained growth in the tourism industry and in revamped free zones.

The government officials said investment reached US$2.0 billion last year, or US$1.0 billion more that in 2007.

Dominican Republic’s “active forces” called to talk about global crisis

President Leonel Fernandez instructed Economy minister Temístocles Montas to organize the call to a gathering between the nation’s “active forces” as the head of the State proposed in a December 8 speech to the country, aimed at facing Dominican Republic’s challenges in the global crisis.

Quoting a National Palace source, newspaper Listin Diario said the summit seeks to address economic topics, at the center of the crisis.

The source said since it’s about economic problems the President instructed Montas to organize the encounter, although a date has yet to be set. “Logically in that summit with the active forces of the nation all sectors will be able to participate and take their own agenda and proposals, so they are discussed within the encounter.”

However, the Listin soured said the idea is to discuss the country’s situation within the world-wide crisis and leave aside political aspects that could be debated in another arena.

In that regard, the opposition PRD party said Saturday it is willing to participate in the talks, only if Fernandez “keeps his promises.”

Dominican business sector hails interest rate reductions

Representatives of the industrial, commercial and agricultural sector have said that the reduction in interest rates announced by the Central Bank will lead to an increase in commercial activities, which in turn will contribute to reactivating the country’s economy.

Yesterday the Central Bank announced lower overnight interest rates from 9.5% to 8.5% annually, or 1 percentage point, and the Lombarda interest rate from 16% to 14% annually, or 2 percentage points.

The president of the Herrera Industrialists Association (AEIH), Manuel Cabrera welcomed the measure as “timely” and said that it was an indication that the monetary authorities were fulfilling their promises.

He said that this reduction was smaller than expected, and that it should have been between 10 and 12 per cent. Nonetheless, he said that he was confident that these would return to the ideal level for promoting economic development.

The president of the National Commercial Companies Organization (ONEC), Pedro Pérez, said that this would contribute to reactivating the economy, and that many businesses would now be able to get loans at a more reasonable rate. He said that the measure would provide a much-needed boost to sales.

He did however point out that the monetary authorities needed to exercise caution in order to maintain exchange rate stability.

A big year for the Dominican environmental sector

Could 2009 be the year in which Dominican Republic adopts measures to reduce the adverse effects on the environment and repair damages caused by the ecological deterioration, even as historically, the lack of response to some problems has been justified by legal weaknesses that limit the environmental authority?

A sector document with solutions to the problem seeks to modify eleven articles of the Constitution and create a new one on collective rights and on the environment, and if amendment is accomplished this year and it their proposal materializes, the nation would be taking a giant step, the organizations that work in the issue say.

“It’s not possible that Dominican Republic doesn’t have express dispositions it in its Constitution to prevent the contamination and promote the sustainable use of our natural resources,” said Jose Rafael Almonte, Environment vice minister for Planning and Development.

“In this reform it will be necessary to consider in a clear, expeditious and specific manner a mandate to the public powers on the need to protect the environment and for a sustained use of the natural resources”, and “if society doesn’t obtain that, then it’s saying that it’s not interested.”

Among the positive actions emanating from the Environment Ministry and the sector are the Plan Quisqueya Verde, which although the Government touts it as forestry policy success, ecologists say only time will reveal if there has been true progress. There are 3,500 people working in the Plan and 2,236 pounds of seeds have been collected.

In enforcement, Environment showed its zeal in October when it demolished the infrastructures of two small hotels being built illegally in Saona island, part of the national park of the East, and with the evictions of squatters in the national park Los Haitises. It also shut down major plants that dragged aggregates from the banks of several rivers.

Dominican Central Bank lowers overnight rate to 8.5%

The Central Bank announced lower overnight interest rates from 9.5% to 8.5% annually, or 1 percentage point, and the Lombarda interest rate from 16% to 14% annually, or 2 percentage points, which signals an eased monetary policy to continue in February, as the monetary authorities recently announced.

“The decisions with respect to changes in interest rates are conditional to the behavior of the main causes of inflation, which closed in December 2008 at 4.52%, below the goal established in the 2008 Monetary Program,” the Central Bank said on its Web site.

Inflation of only 4.52%, possibly Latin America’s lowest, means Dominicans will have received positive a real return from their savings in 2008.

“Interest rates reduction is consistent with the current behavior of oil prices and the internal demand, jointly with a position of greater fiscal prudence, reflected in the recently approved 2009 Income and Budget Law," the Central Bank said.

It adds that the Overnight rate is the one that represents the yield for the financial institutions that deposit their surplus in the Central Bank, reflecting the cost of money for the monetary institution, whereas the Lombarda rate is the maximum interest rate on short term loans to the financial institutions.