Dominican tourism megaproject boasts a major airport

Santo Domingo.- When the Pedernales development project has completed its fourth phase, it’s estimated that the international airport that is planned to be built in that border province will receive 963,155 international passengers, a number higher than the non-resident travelers who arrived in 2019 to Cibao International Airport, which was 707,019.

The images with the design of the terminal, printed in a 377-page book that contains the Tourism Development Plan for Cabo Rojo, Pedernales, are avant-garde.

They are far from the poverty that many families have today in that province, considered among the three poorest in the Dominican Republic.

The shape of the designed airport is inspired by the sea turtles that nest on the coast of Pedernales, and its other spaces also include the fauna and flora of the Cabo Rojo area, where the arid forest prevails.

The idea of ​​an international airport in Pedernales was also promoted in the past administration of Danilo Medina, who also announced a tourism development project that was never executed

Asonahores: arrival of tourists remains very active in high season

The president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism ( Asonahores ), Rafael Blanco Tejera, said that the trajectory in the arrival of visitors would remain very active in the upcoming 2022 high season “since the last quarter of the year, October, November, and December, the country broke a record in the arrival of tourists.»

He indicated that the rate of reservations has been recovering since the end of January, so the entity is working on preparations to maintain growth for the summer.

“High season will be extraordinarily good,” he emphasized.

Regarding the pace of recovery, Blanco Tejera said that it is notable not only in reservations but also at the level of cruise ships, traditional tourism, and business.

“In the last months of the year, Santo Domingo had an occupancy rate of more than 75%, and that means that business tourism also returned, which was a great unknown because we did not know when it would be reactivated, and it did so because there is a marked interest. of the business traveler to resume their rhythm in the DR,” he added.

Dominican Republic starts megatourism project

Santo Domingo.- The energy production in Pedernales (southwest) is not enough for the megatourism development project at Cabo Rojo in that province, promoted by the government of Luis Abinader.

The project considers the construction of a solar farm among the sources to diversify the energy matrix of the region.

According to the estimates set forth in the plan, the demand for energy would increase to 72% in the next 20 years, as the hotels projects are developed.

For 2015, the establishments in Pedernales with the largest number of employees estimated that, in percentage terms, spending on salaries ranked second, only behind the cost of electricity, which in some cases represented up to 60% of expense totals.

Puntacana Group heaps praise on Abinader

Santo Domingo.- Puntacana Group president Frank Elías Rainieri, affirmed that the participation of the Dominican Republic in the Madrid International Tourism Fair (Fitur 2022) “has been a unique opportunity” to promote tourism and connect people with the best of the country.

“This has allowed us to show the world, as a country and a tourist destination, where we come from, the development path we want to follow, what has been achieved to surmount the pandemic and the future development that we want to share with investors and visitors.”

He highlighted the presence of President Luis Abinader and the active management of the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, at Fitur 2022.

“Our president didn’t just make a tour of the fair, which is happening for the first time at FITUR, he dedicated four days to attending tourism entrepreneurs from Spain, Germany, France and other European markets, interested in expanding their businesses, at the Dominican stand. and invest,” he said.

Abinader, grateful for the words of the former US ambassador.

The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, shared a message on his Twitter account thanking the former United States ambassador, Robin Bernstein, for her “warm words.”

«I appreciate these warm words from the former United States ambassador, broadcast yesterday in the space « This is not radio.» Robin Bernstein is a distinguished friend of our people. My family and I are also proud to be his friends.”

Bernstein, who was a special guest for the “This is not radio” program, referred to President Abinader as “a hardworking man” and “someone who has a sure path to lead the country.”

“I think he has made a lot of progress in the country. He is a very hardworking man and he has a way to go. I’m glad I can call him: my friend,» he mentioned.

His farewell to the country

The United States ambassador to the nation,  Robin S. Bernstein,  said goodbye to the country on Thursday, January 13, during an act in which she said she was leaving with a feeling of great satisfaction. However, she considered the farewell as bittersweet.

During an act, which was broadcast through the social networks of the United States Embassy in the country, he said that the Dominican Republic was his number one option due to the conditions in the country, mainly because it is a nation of faith.

“When you come to a place that has these foundations of faith, it’s easy to choose. You go to the churches here, the Jews go to the synagogues and the Dominican Republic was one of the first countries that opened its doors to the Jews and I wanted to thank the Dominican Republic for that gesture,” said the diplomat.

The people, the culture, the music, the baseball are some of the things that he liked the most about the Dominican Republic.

STOA and Grupo Energético join forces to expand Los Guzmancito park

Grupo Energético 23 (GE23) announced STOA ‘s investment in Poseidon Energía Renovable (PER) , a company in charge of the development, financing and active management of the 100 MW Los Guzmancito Wind Farm , located in the municipality of Luperón, Puerto Plata. With STOA’s investment, the project will nearly double its capacity by adding a US$128 million Phase II consisting of an additional 13 turbines. The National Energy Commission (CNE) granted in December 2021 the definitive concession for this expansion of the project. The phase mentioned above recently began its construction after an inaugural ceremony with the President of the Republic.

“We are delighted to partner with STOA , which brings deep wind expertise and international best practices on environmental and social governance to the project and to our country,” said Ernesto Armenteros, Partner at GE23 and CEO of PER.

While Roberto Camino L., managing partner of GE23, maintains that “the expansion of Los Guzmancito will create thousands of local jobs during construction and several dozen permanent ones.

It will also create roads to the previously inaccessible mountain and coastal terrain, to the benefit of nearby cruise ship tourism, and the Guzmancito community itself will benefit from the restoration of schools, churches, sports facilities, and pumps for running water and irrigation.”

Dominican Republic-Cooperstown express

Santo Domingo.- Not only to see compatriots win medals at the Olympic Games this century. Dominicans have also become accustomed to the news of the arrival of a former player on baseball’s Mount Everest.

David Ortiz already has his niche in Cooperstown and will be inducted on July 24. He will be the third Quisqueyan to arrive at the temple reserved for the best in the last seven years.

The first Dominican burst onto the scene in 1956 with Osvaldo Virgil and as early as 1960 they had their first big star in Juan Marichal, who carved out an immortal career that was certified in 1983.

24 years passed between the entry of Cy Young winners Marichal and that of Pedro Martínez (2015) and only three to see the landing of Vladimir Guerrero (2018), the first possition player to do so.

Dominican Gov. wants deals with Qatar

Santo Domingo.- The Minister of Energy and Mines and the Vice Minister of Hydrocarbons said Wednesday before a delegation from the State of Qatar the investment potential that the country has in the areas of electricity and fuels.

Both Antonio Almonte and Vice Minister Walkiria Caamaño stressed how important it would be for the Dominican Republic if that Arab State were interested in exploring and investing in these two lines.

Almonte pointed out that the government headed by President Luis Abinader is interested in Qatar being aware of and collaborating with the hydrocarbon exploration efforts in the Dominican Republic and making investments in the renewable energy line.

“For us it is very important that you are interested in this type of exploration and investment in the Dominican Republic,” Almonte said during a meeting with the delegation of officials and entrepreneurs.

RED Air airline opens offer of flights to Miami with special rates

The Dominican airline RED Air offers special market rates for its daily route from Santo Domingo to Miami. This strategy responds to the company’s interest in participating in the offer of flights to this vital city and reinforcing its commitment to the tourism sector.

“Within the framework of our positioning strategies, we already have an interesting range of rates available to the market that have already been published through the entire network of Travel Agencies, business partners and our electronic media to facilitate consultation and purchase of tickets. . We have prepared interesting offers and added values ​​that will be appreciated and will motivate new clients to enjoy our services”, said Héctor Gómez, Executive President of RED Air.

The airline has two daily flights between Santo Domingo and Miami at convenient times that allow connectivity and flexibility when traveling.

Tickets

The purchase of tickets can be made through the entire chain of tourist services, such as travel agencies and tourism wholesalers, and the website www.redair.com.do, which has a modern platform of “E-commerce,” friendly and straightforward the user who visits it.

The airline also makes advice available at its sales offices located on Avenida Sarasota and Plaza Morichal in Santo Domingo.

“We want to offer the market a reliable option, with high standards of care and service but at the same time competitive and aggressive in commercial matters from an organization that seeks a privileged place in the preference of the Dominican consumer,” said Gómez.

A group of businessmen leads the RED Air projectwith extensive experience in civil aviation and airport services, committed to the aeronautical sector, its development, and its contribution to the economy and tourism of the Dominican Republic.

“Currently we have a team of more than 100 professionals from different administrative, operational and commercial areas. Our fleet of four McDonnell Douglas aircraft, equipped with a comfortable 12-seat business class cabin and a comfortable 137-seat tourist class cabin, but the idea is to continue growing,” said Gómez.

About RED Air

With a vocation for service, it seeks to satisfy the requirements of its clients and contribute to the development of the airline industry and the Dominican economy, aligned with the central government’s policies for the sustainable development of core sectors such as air transport and tourism.

“It’s not because of crime in the Dominican Republic,” says foreign minister on increase of U.S. travel alert

Indicated that several nations are also dealing with this variant of the travel alert.

Santo Domingo, DR

Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez affirmed that the increase in the alert for travel to the Dominican Republic, issued by the United States Department of State, is not due to citizen insecurity but rather the prevalence of the omicron variant Covid-19.

He also indicated that several nations are also dealing with this variant and that their respective alert levels have also changed.

“It is a review that they have made based on the omicron, and if you look at it you will find a series of countries that have been reclassified because of that issue, because of the omicron, that is the only change there is, everything else is same as they have said,” he told members of the press.

Likewise, he assured that this modification would not affect Dominican tourism, pointing out the level of security that exists in the country dedicated to this sector and the level of vaccination of the population.

“It is not because of insecurity in the Dominican Republic,” he stressed.

the alert

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a level 4 travel health advisory level, due to a very high level of covid-19 in the country,” read part of the entity’s statement.

This report similarly pointed out that violent crimes, including armed robberies, homicides, and sexual assaults, are a cause for concern in the Dominican territory.

Furthermore, they described that “the wide availability of weapons, the use and trade of illicit drugs, and a weak criminal justice system all contribute to the high level of crime on a broader scale.”

They detailed that the non-urban areas of the country do not have security and that the city, thanks to “a professional tourist police force, a 911 system in many parts of the country, and a concentration of resources in tourist areas,” tend to be better guarded.

They recommended their citizens “to be careful in the environment once they attend the country, not to physically resist any robbery attempt, not to show signs of wealth such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry.”

US$150M plant to recycle 450 tons daily

Santo Domingo.-During an act headed by President Luis Abinader, the Viamar and Rizek groups began construction work on a solid waste recycling and recovery plant in the La Nasa area of San Francisco de Macorís, Duarte province (Dominican northeast).

The work, which will be built with an investment of 180 million dollars, will have the capacity to produce 450 tons of garbage per day. Also generate energy from the use of waste.

Óscar Villanueva, from the Viamar company, stressed that the initiative will represent a great step forward for the country, as a contribution to the solution of the environmental problem created by improper waste management.

“Today we open the doors of a project that will transform the way of dealing with this matter and turn it into an opportunity for national development”

Dominicans mark Founding Father’s birth

Santo Domingo.- Beyond being the sober image of the Father of the Nation, the military or politician, Juan Pablo Duarte was a simple man; revolutionary and activist who arrived disheveled to the dark streets of the Colonial Zone after a cavalcade from the country’s interior.

This is how the historian José Antinoe Fiallo Billini described him, who assured that Duarte was an open-minded man and from childhood he developed skills that years later would be useful to him to realize his ideals of achieving independence.

Dominican Republic: Hotels receive Blue Flag certification

Santo Domingo.– Due to the quality standards in the fields of environmental education, bathing water, environmental management and safety offered during the 2021-2022 period, the Meliá Hotels International hotels: Paradisus Grand Cana, Paradisus Palma Real, Meliá Punta Cana Beach and Meliá Caribe Beach, received the national Blue Flag certificate.

The certificate allows Meliá to improve and expand the connection of its guests with the environment, not only at a natural level but also culturally, providing everyone with a protected and inclusive space to meet the special needs of the people who visit them.

At the same time, it demonstrates the quality and environmental standards maintained by the group’s hotels and which are necessary to develop a sustainable and comprehensive management of the beaches.

The jury was made up of 11 public institutions, including the ministries of Environment, Tourism, Education, Public Health, ASONAHORES, National Aquarium, CIBIMA, Civil Defense, CONADIS, the National Competitiveness Council and the Propagas Foundation, which evaluate the national segments that opt ​​for the award.

Spanish hotel chains highlight Dominican Republic’s work in tourism recovery

Madrid.– The 16 Spanish families of tourism, as they are known in Spain, owners of the most important hotel chains in that country and who have more than 60 thousand hotel rooms in the Dominican Republic, expressed their satisfaction with President Luis Abinader and Tourism minister David Collado for the work done in the country for the recovery and relaunch of tourism.

The business group expressed that the Dominican Republic has been an example to the world and that it is the country that has given them the greatest support to achieve an effective recovery and be able to successfully rehabilitate their operations, as well as all the jobs that had been lost in the pandemic.

These families, who have investments in different countries such as Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, Spain, the United States, among other destinations, indicated that the Dominican Republic has been the example to follow and where they have been able to recover faster.

Collado expressed that such a success has been achieved thanks to the public-private partnership that has been carried out through the Tourism Cabinet, headed by President Luis Abinader.

Spanish businessmen and businesswomen also informed the authorities that as of today they have more than 5,000 job vacancies in the Bávaro-Punta Cana area; they recognized that this is because the Dominican market recovered very quickly and now they have to hire personnel again.

Abinader appointed a commission to meet these employment needs, in which, in addition to the Tourism minister David Collado, there will be Labor minister Luis Miguel Decamps, and the director of Infotep, Rafael Santos Badía.

Dominican tourism can harvest Madrid crop

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic was a partner country of Fitur 2022 and now it has ahead of it to reap the fruits of what was achieved in Madrid.

Tourism Minister David Collado spoke with Diario Libre about the Dominican experience and the challenges facing this important line of the economy.”

What did Fitur’s challenge mean for the Ministry of Tourism?

“The fact is that Fitur 2022 was a challenge. We made the decision in April 2021, at the previous Fitur, where there was little attendance by the public, a minimum number of countries with stands.

“We analyzed that the vision was to play to the recovery of the country. 899,000 Dominicans depend directly on tourism.”

Magnitude 5.3 quake rattles Haiti, west of Jimaní

Santo Domingo.– A magnitude 5.3 quake occurred this Monday in the Canal du Sud in Haiti, with several subsequent aftershocks, with no reports of damage or injuries thus far.

According to Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste, the 5.3 magnitude quake was felt at 8:16 a.m. in Nippes (up to the Sud and Grand-Anse departments) on Monday, January 24. “Just over an hour later, other quakes were felt everywhere, especially in Port-au-Prince.”

The report adds that since the August 14, 2021 earthquake that severely hit the Great South, seismic tremors are frequent in this region.

While the Santo Domingo Seismological Institute has in its registry that the quake occurred at 1:16:24 p.m. (international time, 9:16 a.m. Dominican time). The event occurred 10 kilometers in depth and 159.8 kilometers “west of Jimani, Canal du Sud.”

Abinader: US$2,245 million will be invested in Cabo Rojo-Pedernales Tourism Development Project

Madrid.– President Luis Abinader revealed in Fitur 2022 that the Pedernales Tourism Development Project (southwest), one of the most important commitments of his government, will be carried out in four phases; the first will start with 6 hotel chains, for a total average period of 10 years, and with an estimated investment of 2,245 million dollars.

According to Presidencia.gob.do, he said that in the first phase an investment of 1,300 million dollars is foreseen for the construction of 4,700 rooms, which will become 12,000 rooms at the end of the project.

He stressed that the development of this new and spectacular tourist destination will create nearly 20,000 direct jobs and more than 50,000 indirect jobs, which translates into economic dynamism in the region.

The head of satate pointed out that six hotels will begin operations during the opening of the first phase, for which hotel chains Hilton, Marriott, Sunwing, AmResorts, Iberostar Group and Karisma Hotels & Resorts have already signed a letter of commitment to begin construction of their hotels from the middle of this year.

President Abinader spoke during the presentation of the Tourism Development Master Plan for Pedernales, which begins in Cabo Rojo and will make the change towards a prosperous future in this post-pandemic era as an irreversible reality.

“Our vision of the future of the Dominican Republic is shared, since we want to guarantee a country with remarkable economic growth, with decent jobs and a fair redistribution of our wealth, which reaches the vast majority of Dominican households, families and to every citizen,” he expressed.

He stated that this project will radically transform the lives of thousands of people in the Pedernales province and throughout the southern region of the country.

“Cabo Rojo-Pedernales will be the first tourist destination in the Caribbean to be developed from scratch under a public-private partnership, with a luxury offer based on sustainable tourism, taking care of every detail to offer tourists the best experience,” he said.

He assured that this is one of the most ambitious projects, one of the most demanded and necessary, which is becoming possible thanks to the involvement of many people and institutions who believe in the solidity of the country, in the opportunities that are opening up and in the future that awaits them and that they are building together.

“The Dominican moment has arrived. Invest in it. You will not regret it,” Abinader concluded.

Dominican and Spanish civil aviation authorities sign definitive air transport agreement

Madrid.– As part of the 42nd edition of the international tourism fair Fitur 2022 and with its participation as a partner country, the Dominican Government signed an agreement on air transport between the Dominican Republic and Spain, with the aim of promoting development and sustained growth of tourism and investment in the country, the Civil Aviation Board (JAC) announced.

On behalf of the Dominican Republic the agreement was signed by JAC President José Ernesto Marte Piantini, and by Spain the General Director of Civil Aviation, Raúl Medina Caballero, who updated the legal framework that provides coverage for air links between the two countries, adapting it to current regulations.

The Civil Aviation Board president pointed out that this agreement, which had been pending signature for 12 years, is the product of the review of bilateral aviation relations between the two countries. The updated document replaces and updates the air transport agreement signed 54 years ago, exactly on March 15, 1968.

Marte Piantini stated that, for the Dominican aeronautical sector, Europe is very important. In fact, it represents 18% of the total market and is the second busiest region, after North America. “In the European market, Spain has historically been the most active, with more than 600,000 passengers transported in 2019,” said the president of the body that regulates Dominican aviation.

At the end of the signing of the agreement, the JAC president also highlighted that since 2018 the civil aviation market between Spain and the Dominican Republic has been 99% from and to the city of Madrid.

Foreign investment by Spain in the period (2010 – 2019) amounts to US$1,896.21 million, which represents 6.7% of total foreign investment (25.5 billion) during that period.

Of the total Spanish foreign investment, 55% is dedicated to the tourism sector in the Dominican Republic, distributed in 24 hotel chains with a total of 98 hotels and 46,142 rooms, which translates into 57.5% of the total available rooms as of 2019 (80,000 rooms).

Abinader anticipates the Dominican Republican will have a flag carrier

 Government seeks to improve air ticket prices.

 The initiative would boost the tourism industry much more.

President Luis Abinader has preliminarily reported that the Dominican Republic will have a national airline.

During a breakfast with the press that covers the Fitur tourism fair, the president said that “we are going to have an airline that will be mainly from the Dominican capital, which is in process and that in about 30 days we will make an announcement because we want an important group be incorporated.”

Abinader also indicated that this project, together with the other lines that have Dominican capital, will help improve travel prices to and from the Dominican Republic.

During the activity with the press, the Dominican president also announced the construction of a convention center in the Dominican capital.

Abinader says that if necessary the Government will resume Covid insurance for tourists

Madrid Spain

President Luis Abinader affirmed that if necessary, the Government will resume Covid insurance “DR Insurance Tourism Assistance Plan” to guarantee health coverage to tourists traveling to the Dominican Republic. This model bore fruit under challenging times pandemic that it is over.

Speaking exclusively for Listín Diario, the president explained that many insurances had incorporated coverage for Covid-19, and it is no longer a strange case, as when the pandemic began. However, it was not incorporated into standard health insurance, and the operators have not felt the need for it to be restored.

Abinader said that the Government will be pending, “in sight,” to maintain what has been achieved by implementing this insurance, which until now has not been asked to be restored.

“In case it is needed, we will study it,” explained President Abinader, regarding the fact that the Covid insurance that was applied through Banreservas insurance has already ended. The world is experiencing a new wave of variants of the coronavirus.

Previously, President Abinader explained that “we have to learn to live with Covid,” whose outbreak is in a fifth wave in the world, and the contagion levels are high; the lethality is 0.88. He indicated that according to specialists, it is in a plateau stage the tendency is to go down.

Covid insurance model

The health insurance for tourists traveling to the country is paid for by those visitors because the program ended and was supplemented by taking free samples from travelers.

The country has many people vaccinated with a first and second dose. Currently, the number of vaccinated with a third dose is also growing, and some have a fourth (though the policy of a fourth dose failed in Israel). In addition, vaccination for children aged five to 11 years was also announced.

The DR Safe Tourism Assistance Plan impacted more than 400,000 tourists during its validity, from September 15, 2020, to July 31, 2021.

Currently, tourists who, for health reasons, have had to stay in isolated rooms in hotel facilities bear their expenses while they are in that situation. The travel insurance for Covid-19 covered by the Dominican Government expired on July 31 last year.

The coverage attracted thousands of visitors, and other countries copied the model.

Rafael Blanco Tejera, president of the Asonahores, had explained to this editor that the protocols, structured and implemented since the beginning of the opening of the tourism sector, contemplate that hotels have rooms to isolate any tourist infected with Covid-19 and that the hotel offers them monitoring of their health status through allied clinics.

“This cost is assumed by the tourist himself, since the Covid insurance program offered by the Government, through Seguros Reservas, has already concluded, however, we have not had any incidents for this reason,” assured the representative of the hotel sector.

The insurance validity was from September 15, 2020, to July 31, 2021.

This Safe Tourism DR Assistance Plan was recognized for innovation, development, and implementation by the Dominican Association of Health Tourism in the fifth version of the International Congress of Health and Wellness Tourism. In addition, it was recently awarded Mercado Magazine in the Entrepreneurs of the Year 2021 award, highlighting in this opportunity the Allies to the Tourism Sector, as part of recognizing the entities that have contributed with specialized solutions to the resurgence of the local tourism sector.