Santo Domingo and its Colonial City bet on cultural tourism

Punta Cana, DR

The Colonial City of Santo Domingo will bet on culture to strengthen its tourist offer with a series of actions that include the intervention of four museums in the area, the leading players in the tourism sector of the Dominican capital reported this Friday.

In addition to the museography work to reorganize the collections, an architectural readjustment of these museums will be carried out, housed in historical buildings that are critical pieces of the heritage of the primate city of America.

The general coordinator of the Tourist and Urban Development Program of the Colonial City, Amín Abel Santos, explained that the parts of the structures that need renovation would be rescued, and the space would be adapted to the museography with the idea of ​​introducing immersive experiences and reality virtual.

The Museum of the Ozama Fortress will be the first to be intervened, followed by the Museum of the Cathedral, the Alcázar de Colón, and the Museum of the Royal Houses. This building housed the first court of justice in America, a project in which It works together with the Ministry of Tourism, with financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

In addition, the rescue of the Ruins of San Francisco is planned, a project that had many conflicts in the past, “and now there is a new study process to decide what use can be given to it” and, meanwhile, “work is being done on provisional structures to stabilize the whole, since “every time there is a temporary phenomenon it deteriorates.”

Other works planned to revitalize the Colonial City of Santo Domingo will be the rehabilitation of various streets of this historic center with a Renaissance urban fabric so that they have “a pedestrian primacy,” thus improving the visitor’s experience.

The works, including the undergrounding of electricity and water services, will be carried out on five kilometers of streets and are scheduled to begin next September.

The renovation will positively affect the development of other activities and cultural attractions, such as the tours that visitors can take through a new GPS web application of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo.

This tool allows users to access audio content at various points of interest using the personalized and multilingual content management system, explained the Santo Domingo Tourism Cluster (CTSD) president, Mónika Infante.

The application “lets you know 25 attractions of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo” and that it is a free and unique service in the Dominican Republic, which has been one of the novelties that were presented during the DATE 2022 tourism fair, the main promotional event of the Dominican Republic as an international destination.

La Ceiba, the new 1,204-room hotel by Lopesan in Bávaro

The CEO of Lopesan spoke about the project in a meeting with Abinader and Collado

It will entail an investment of more than 233 million dollars

Lopesan Hotel Group plans to develop the “ La Ceiba ” hotel. Some 225 million euros (about 233.5 million dollars) will be invested as part of the second phase of the property in the Dominican Republic.

The new establishment will have 1,204 rooms, for 2,246 between the La Ceiba and Lopesan Costa Bávaro hotels.

“With the La Ceiba hotel, we concluded the development in Bávaro beach, since with it we completed the second stage of construction. Of course, you know the first one and it is the Lopesan Costa Bávaro, which has had an excellent reception by tour operators and the local public”, said the CEO of Lopesan Hotel Group, Francisco López.

In recent years, the Lopesan Group has invested over US$350 million in the country in the construction of the “Lopesan Costa Bávaro Resort, Spa & Casino” hotel, which has 1,042 hotel rooms, generates 1,350 direct jobs and around three thousand indirect jobs.

The news came out during the meeting that Francisco López held with President Luis Abinader and Minister David Collado within the framework of the development of DATE 2022 to strengthen collaboration ties and, at the same time, discuss the Group’s new investments.

At the moment, it has not transpired when the construction of the new mega hotel will begin nor the estimated date for its inauguration.

Sky Cana schedules 30 flights between Cuba and Punta Cana in summer

The CEO of Sky Cana,  Frank Díaz, reported that by the summer of 2022 the airline will carry out a frequency every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for ten weeks, until completing 30 flights between Cuba and Punta Cana.

“They have asked us for frequency on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for the family reunion of Cubans who come to Punta Cana and Cuban nationals residing in the United States who come to reunite with their relatives who are unable to travel to the United States, they will use the Republic Dominican to make the reunion in the destination of the East, “he added.

He told arecoa.com that the 30 frequencies are processed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( Mirex ) through the DR Consulate in Cuba as part of the visa facilitation process to host a reunion in Punta Cana.

Although he did not mention the cost of each trip, Diaz recalled that the airline is characterized by offering an economical and adaptable solution.

It is recalled that the flights carried out by the airline are through the Dominican operator’s Sky High Aviation and Air Century, so they have the possibility of being able to offer a more significant number of destinations and also have aircraft of different sizes and passenger capacity, to be able to adapt better to the needs of each client.

Amber Highway on the road to development

Santo Domingo.- The development of the East of the country, based on the investments made in the different highways, especially the Punta Cana tourist boulevard and the Coral highway, has boosted the economy, strengthening the tourism brand and creating jobs.

“The vision of President Luis Abinader is to extrapolate this successful model to other forgotten areas, such as Puerto Plata, through the Ámbar Highway, the country’s first infrastructure PPP,“ Andres Vanderhorst told Listin Diario.

This highway, a 32.7-kilometer-long road that will connect the tourist province of Puerto Plata with the Santiago beltway in less than 25 minutes, will boost the already thriving international tourism in the “Bride of the Atlantic”, but also domestic tourism. , by connecting both cities, even surpassing the comfort and time with which Santo Domingo is currently connected to Boca Chica.

Recent information affirm that the country received 700 million dollars in April from tourism, led by the Bávaro-Punta Cana and La Romana-Bayahibe poles, followed further behind by Puerto Plata and Santiago. In a few words, this will come to improve the strategic infrastructure, it will promote the tourist poles of the north, generating thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

It is an investment of some 400 million dollars, but the return of which will mean even better numbers for tourism, in addition to trade and merchandise transport, thanks to the reduction in connection times between cities, and more expeditious access to the cruise port that is already being built in Puerto Plata.

Dominican Republic’s top tourism fair shows strength

Punta Cana.- The largest tourism fair in the Dominican Republic, (Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE 2022), was held in Punta Cana, where it brought together business leaders from various sectors, especially tourism.

This event had a pre-opening by the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores) at the Barceló Bávaro Palace hotel.

In the event, Rafael Blanco Tejera, president of the entity, assured that the Dominican Republic has received more than 2.2 million tourists in the first four months of the year with a projection of more than seven million by the end of 2022..

Dominican Republic plans to become the Caribbean’s leading aviation tourism powerhouse

The director of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation ( IDAC ), Héctor Pórcella, stressed that the new protocol that will govern the operation of domestic flights would help make the Dominican Republic the main power of aviation tourism in the Caribbean.

“The new regulatory instrument, sponsored by President Luis Abinader and approved by the institutions with responsibility for the country’s air traffic, creates the conditions for the DR to compete advantageously for the large aviation tourism market, which annually moves between 45 thousand and 50 thousand planes throughout the Caribbean,” he declared.

He indicated that the sector institutions have created a work table and have agreed to define a protocol to encourage this vital tourist segment with high consumption power, attracting thousands of pilots from different parts of the world, especially from the United States. and Canada.

He said that to achieve said protocol, which makes it possible to eliminate the bureaucratic obstacles that hindered this activity, President Abinader played a key role as part of his commitment to “zero bureaucracy,” or at least the minimum necessary to guarantee operational security and compliance with the laws of the country.

Porcella recognized the efforts made by the director of the Airport Department, Víctor Pichardo, and the general commander of the Air Force of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Muñoz Noboa, to clear up bureaucratic difficulties and facilitate the implementation of the new protocol.

He explained that the Dominican air clubs had been involved in this task, which are the ones with the “know-how,” the knowledge of daily situations, and most of the complaints about the obstacles affecting this activity.

“It is good to remember that taking a plane, for example, at the La Isabela airport , to travel to Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, Barahona or Montecristi , is like taking a means of land transportation, only much faster and as safe as any other transportation,” he said.

He said that authorities and technicians from IDAC and other institutions in the aeronautical sector had attended international events such as the Lakeland fair and the Oshkosh fair, the largest air festival globally, to promote the country as a destination for private aviation.

JetBlue launches new flight between Boston and Puerto Plata

The Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Boston, Massachusetts, represented by the consul general, Ramón Antonio Cruz, and the vice-consul Charge d’Affaires, Luis Gustavo Estrella, inaugurated the new Boston -Puerto Plata air route of the US airline JetBlue.

Both officials from the Dominican consular mission attended the General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport in Boston to formally open the JetBlue B6 785 flight bound for the Gregorio Luperón International Airport in Puerto Plata.

“On behalf of the government of the Dominican Republic , we thank JetBlue airlines for opening this flight to Puerto Plata, the bride of the Atlantic, because it will have a significant impact for the region at a tourist level,” said Ramón Cruz.

He also highlighted the importance of this air route for Dominicans residing in the New England region of the United States “because it allows them to enjoy yet another destination of our beautiful Quisqueya.”

On his side, Gustavo Estrella explained that it is a new route that has been achieved “through inter-institutional efforts, between the Civil Aviation Board ( JAC ) and its director, José Marte Piantini; the general secretary, Paola Pla, and thanks to the excellent business and investment climate that the management of our president Luis Abinader emits, and the efforts of this Consulate.”

He indicated that after 17 test flights, “today JetBlue officially decides to keep this important route, which will be moving an average of 1,300 passengers per month to this important destination, bringing the Dominican family and tourists closer, to boost the local economy further.”

He said that this momentous event was celebrated with great joy to the rhythm of merengue among passengers, JetBlue executives, and Consulate staff, all waving the Dominican flag.

Also present at the flight’s inauguration were Sandra Palmer, JetBlue’s General Manager of Airports Operations; Natalie Martínez, manager of Government Affairs of the airline; Raúl Cepeda, an official of the Dominican Consulate in Bosch, among others.

Dominican Republic is consolidated as the favorite long-distance destination of the French

“The tourism recovery is complete, and we are ready to continue.”

Tourism Minister David Collado stepped up his efforts to ensure that the French continue to choose the Dominican Republic as their favorite long-distance destination.

When presenting the benefits of the country at the Les Entreprises du Voyege Congress, which was held in Bávaro, from May 4 to 9, with the participation of more than 400 representatives of the French tourism industry, Minister Collado stated that the DR is an example in the recovery of tourism.

This event, where the leading representatives of the French tourism market participate and carry out their business rounds, was confirmed by Minister David Collado within the framework of the IFTM Top Resa 2021 fair, to be held in the Dominican Republic.

The official highlighted the efforts made by the government to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and guarantee the safety of tourists.

“Today the recovery of tourism is complete and this paradise is ready to continue receiving all those French people who have us as their favorite long-distance destination,” he said.

He reported that in April 2022, 24,839 French people were received, 1,500 more than in 2019, in pre-pandemic, which gives a clear signal of his preference for the Dominican Republic, ranking third as the issuing market.

“We are going to continue betting on this French market, and the fact that all the travel agencies are here, working and enjoying our country, is the greatest reason they can have for recommending the country, for which we are delighted.” to be in this activity,” indicated

He said that the Dominican Republic is a reference for the industry’s recovery without a chimney, which is recognized by the World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO ).

“Really, tourism in the Dominican Republic has fully recovered. Now we just have to move forward to strengthen the growth of an industry that has a human face,” said the official.

He assured us that historically France had supported tourism in the Dominican Republic since it is the third-largest issuer of tourists.

The UNWTO recognizes the Dominican Republic as number one in recovery

Santo Domingo, DR

President Luis Abinader and the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, received recognition granted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) that positions the Dominican Republic as the number one country in tourism recovery.

During the activity and after receiving the distinction, the head of state explained that the income received by this sector reaches almost US$6,000 million with an exact figure of US$5,700 million and added that if the tourism sector did not recover, the economy.

“When we came to the Government, we saw that the economic growth of the industrial sector was beginning to recover, the free zone sector as well, among others, but not the tourism sector, and if we did not recover that sector, we would not recover the Dominican economy,” he said, referring to the challenges that the incidence of the coronavirus imposed on the tourism sector while others were being restored. He highlighted the thousands of jobs generated by the opening of new hotels to benefit hundreds of Dominicans who did not have a job or had lost it.

He also reiterated that they were “doing the right thing.” In contrast, others criticized the measures that the government implemented to guarantee visitors’ stay, such as Covid medical insurance for tourists and tests at airports, among others.

Minister
While David Collado said that even though the current war between Russia and Ukraine has threatened the sector, thousands of foreigners continue to visit the country, directly benefiting tourism.

“Today we can say that we recovered tourism and that we made history having lost 60 days ago about 60 thousand foreigners per month with the war between Russia and Ukraine, we recovered and had the best month of April in history, we reinvented ourselves,” said Collado, who added that they will continue to overcome all the adversities that come their way.

He pointed out that since September-December of last year, Dominican tourism has broken records in the arrival of foreign vacationers. “In December, in the midst of the omicron, we had a record arrival of some 726,000 foreigners. We had the best quarter in the history of tourism in the midst of the pandemic”, he emphasized.

He said that since his management, “efforts will continue to be spared to increase the recovery of tourism, a multiplier effect of the country’s social and economic well-being.”

The Secretary-General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili, highlighted that the Dominican tourism model stands out for achieving the most successful recovery of the industry, reaching record figures in the arrival of tourists.

Strategies
In addition, Abinader said that the current government differs from the rest of the countries in the strategies for sustainable tourism.

He also added that they had started a new stage to continue developing and exploiting this sector in the long term.

In 2021, he said, the country’s economy will grow by 12.3 percent, the highest growth in Latin America among ten nations in the world. In addition, he detailed that there are about 200,000 more employees than in the pre-Covid.

In January, some 5,000 places were filled in different hotel chains of the pope.

INCOME
$5,700 million
The head of state explained that the income received by this sector reaches almost US$6,000 million with an exact figure of US$5,700 million.

Appreciation
The president affirmed that the appreciation of the Dominican peso is mainly due to the income generated by tourism in the country.

Stability
Abinader also indicated that the decrease in debt in relation to GDP last year, which went from 69% to 62%, is due to growth and tourism.

Dominican tourism recovery gets UN kudos

Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader, will attend this Monday the act of recognition of the Dominican Republic as the number 1 country in the world in the recovery of tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic began,  Sunday  afternoon, the Presidency. said

The recognition will be delivered by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in the Colón Park in the Colonial City, of the National District, at 10:00 in the morning on Monday, May 9.

The president received the invitation from the UNWTO and its Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili.

He said that the recognition has great meaning for Dominican tourism as the country that recovered tourism from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the entire world since the end of 2019.

New Boston-Puerto Plata air route inaugurated

The USA.- The Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Boston, Massachusetts, represented by the consul general in this city, Ramón Antonio Cruz, and the vice-consul Charge d’Affaires, Luis Gustavo Estrella, inaugurated the new Boston-Puerto Plata air route from the American airline JetBlue.

Both officials of the Dominican consular mission attended the General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport in this city of Boston to formally open the JetBlue B6 785 flight bound for the Gregorio Luperón International Airport in Puerto Plata.

“On behalf of the government of the Dominican Republic, we thank the JetBlue airline for opening this flight to Puerto Plata, the bride of the Atlantic, because it will have a significant impact on the region at a tourist level” said the consul general, Ramón Cruz.

He also highlighted the importance of this air route for Dominicans residing in the New England region of the United States “since it allows them to enjoy yet another destination of our beautiful Quisqueya.”

On his side, the business vice-consul of the consular mission, Luis Gustavo Estrella, explained that it is a new route that has been achieved “through inter-institutional efforts, between the Civil Aviation Board and its director, José Marte Piantini; the Secretary-General, Paola Pla, and thanks to the excellent business and investment climate emitted by the management of our president Luis Abinader, and the efforts of this Consulate.”

Estrella explained that after 17 test flights, “today JetBlue officially decides to stay with this important route, which will be transporting an average of 1,300 passengers per month to this important destination, bringing Dominican families and tourists closer together, in order to boost more the local economy.”

He said that this momentous event was celebrated with great joy to the rhythm of merengue among passengers, JetBlue executives, and Consulate staff, all waving the Dominican flag.

Also present at the flight’s inauguration were Sandra Palmer, JetBlue’s General Manager of Airports Operations; Natalie Martínez, Manager of Government Affairs of the airline; Raúl Cepeda, an official of the Dominican Consulate in Bosch, among others.

Frontier will open new flights to SD and Punta Cana from Tampa

From the end of June and the beginning of July

Frontier Airlines will launch four new flights to the Caribbean from Tampa (TPA) in Florida in late June and early July, opting for Santo Domingo and the popular tourist area of ​​Punta Cana, among other Caribbean destinations.

These new links of the Denver-based airline (DEN) will start with a flight between TPA and San Juan, Puerto Rico, on June 23. The route will be operated daily and will be the company’s 14th route.

Beginning June 24, Frontier will launch a 2x weekly service between TPA and Jamaica Montego Bay. In addition, as of June 30, the airline will start two weekly flights between TPA and Santo Domingo (SDQ), while as of July 2, it will add a weekly flight between TPA and Punta Cana (PUJ).

“We will now offer more nonstop flights from Tampa to destinations in Latin America than any other airline,” said Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial for Frontier.

Frontier is an operator of Airbus A320 family aircraft.

Recovery is the talk as IMF, Dominican leader meet

Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader met with the governor of the Central Bank (BC), Héctor Valdez Albizu, the executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), by the Chair of Brazil, Afonso Bevilaqua, and Esteban Vesperoni, head of mission of the IMF, as part of the visit by Fund technicians to the country.

These consultations are established in Article IV of the Articles of Agreement of the IMF. The body holds bilateral talks with its members, usually every year. A team of officials visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with the officials the country’s economic and political developments.

The BC reported in a statement that the IMF representatives highlighted the rapid recovery of the Dominican economy, given the fiscal and monetary measures implemented to combat the pandemic, as well as the effectiveness of health measures to combat the covid-19 virus in the Dominican population.

Gov. earmarks US$17M for bridges, beltways

Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Public Works currently has more than 644 works underway that will transform the country in the coming years, at a cost of RD$17 billion (US$309 million). Among the projects are roads, bridges, sidewalks, curbs and other infrastructure that will help improve the quality of life of citizens.

Some 429 are road works that cover more than 725 kilometers and will connect various regions and provinces of the national territory, according to the data presented by the head of the institution, Deligne Alberto Ascención told Listín.

According to the data presented by Ascención, around 83% of these projects are already underway and several will be delivered during this year.

Among the works that will be completed soon, the minister mentioned the Azua bypass, which will be ready in August; also that of Baní, Peravia, which he said is about 60% advanced; as well as 10 four-lane bridges to be built in this province, which is expected to be completed between now and March of next year.

Ascención assured that all the bypasses that are under construction and most of the road projects will be delivered during the course of this year and the beginning of next year.

“Therefore, it is expected that all of them will be completed in 2024 because most of them can be built in the course of 24 months.”

These and other projects are part of the connectivity strategy designed for the South region, which seeks to achieve a road interconnection from Pedernales to Santo Domingo, in order to reduce the distance between these two points by approximately one hour, explained Ascención.

JetBlue to premiere the renovated runway at Puerto Plata airport

After the temporary closure of runway 08-26 at the Gregorio Luperón International Airport in Puerto Plata for remodeling and repair, the general director of Clúster Norte airports, Carlos Rodoli, reported that the terminal would resume operations with a JetBlue flight at 10:30 in the morning on May 20.

“We close on May 9 and on the 20th the first flight that the terminal will receive, according to the schedule, would be from JetBlue, waiting for operations to resume without any situation, since we have planned, even if the work ends before, three days. within 10 working days to resolve any issues,” he said.

He explained to arecoa.com that the dimension of the work is a remodeling of 12 slabs of the runway; it will be 530 linear meters by 45 meters wide that would be ready in the first stage of the complete remodeling, which will have an investment of RD $160 million.

«The first consists of the 530 meters that are the most critical because historically the resistance of the pavement has been degrading and they were identified by internal studies carried out and thinking about the future and long term because we want to bring British tourists and from Europe and we do not want that they have no technical difficulty to be able to operate in Puerto Plata”, added the also president of Ashonorte.

Rodoli explained that the second stage consists of working on the turning rackets and remodeling other track sections that would be ready in 2023. “It would be a less invasive intervention for operations.”

Air Century maintains three weekly flights between Havana and SD in May

The Cuban Airport and Airport Services Company ( ECASA ) updated on its official channels the flight schedule of various airlines that connect Cuba from the Dominican Republic .

As confirmed by ECASA, so far the Air Century airline will continue to operate with the following frequencies during the month of May from the José Martí International Airport (Havana), Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from Santo Domingo .

On the other hand, ECASA reported that in the case of flights from Cuba to Colombia , so far the Wingo company will continue to operate with the following frequencies in May.

It is recalled that Air Century is a low-cost airline that minimizes the price of its air tickets with baggage restrictions. The basic ticket includes a carry-on bag plus a personal item such as a handbag or a backpack. To add more bags in baggage in the hold of the plane, the customer must contract the service separately.

Punta Cana Power trumpets its achievements

Punta Cana.- The Punta Cana-Macao Energy Consortium (CEPM) received at its facilities the visit of Sergio Massa, president of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina; and Martín Torrijos, former president of Panama, to learn about the cutting-edge energy solutions and technology that have guaranteed access to state-of-the-art, reliable and sustainable energy in Dominican Republic’s East.

Accompanied by its president, Rolando González-Bunster; and its general manager, Oscar San Martín, the delegation visited the CEPM plant located in Bávaro, Punta Cana, with the aim of seeing its practices and successful energy model as a system with a view to being implemented in their respective countries.

One of the central stops of the visit was the CEPM Intelligent Monitoring Center, a point from which the entire structure of the service provided is inspected, in order to guarantee the quality and efficiency of its operations in real time, 24 hours a day.

This technology is unique in the country, and created by Dominican talent, it has already become a model of success in various countries in the region.

CEPM was a pioneer in the implementation of Smart Grid and currently maintains 100% of its clients in smart metering, which makes it the first company in the country to have all of its telemetered services.

The prepaid system, which serves more than 70 percent of CEPM’s clients, is part of this technology in which this company is also a pioneer.

President announces measures against possible food shortages worldwide

They will be giving away seeds, vegetables, laying hens, and animals to the population.

President Luis Abinader informed this Friday in Bonao, Monseñor Nouel province, that the priority of his administration is to promote family agriculture in view of the possibility of a worldwide food shortage caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

To this end, the head of State announced the creation of a program, with all government agencies, to promote the creation of family gardens and crops in the lands of the State Sugar Council (CEA).

He said that they would be giving away seeds and vegetables and laying hens and animals to the population.

“We are going to get ready to plant our yards,” said the President.

He indicated that the government continues to monitor the international crisis, which directly impacts the country.

Luis Abinader made the announcement while leading the ceremony that started the 2022 rice harvest. The activity was held at the Bio-Arroz Rice Experimental Station, located in the Juma Bejucal municipal district in the province of Monseñor Nouel.

After 20 years Dominican beef again heads to the US

Santo Domingo.- After approximately 20 years, the Dominican Republic has been authorized again to export raw, intact beef products derived from slaughtered cattle to the United States.

The provision is in effect from April 29, according to the notification sent to the General Directorate of Medicines, Food and Health Products (Digemaps) of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) by the US Department of Agriculture on the 2nd last month.

The US government made this decision after an audit carried out in the country from September 13 to 23, 2021, the document specifies.

To start exports, the Dominican Republic must meet a series of requirements of the US market related to imports, labeling, individual sanitary measures and the self-report tool (SRT).

Next steps

The next steps that the country must follow to export are to certify the meat establishments that meet the requirements of the United States and send a list of them to the International Coordination Office, which will later be reviewed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service. (FSIS).

“The Dominican Republic may only export products from certified establishments on this list.”

They ask for “urgency” to build the Ámbar highway before the tourist boom in Puerto Plata

The work would connect the province of Santiago with Puerto Plata in 35 minutes.

The deputy for the Modern Revolutionary Party ( PRM ), Emil Durán, requested that the process for the construction of the Ámbar highway in Puerto Plata be declared “urgent.”

According to a press release, the legislator stated that another alternative access road is necessary because the current highway from Puerto Plata to Navarrete is not registered rated for the current vehicular flow.

The work would cover 37.7 kilometers in length, which would connect the province of Santiago with Puerto Plata in 35 minutes.

“Tourism has returned to flow in Puerto Plata, with the arrival of cruise ships and new flights, but not only foreign tourism, but also locals, only during Holy Week we receive 900 thousand Creole visitors, for which the people of Puerto Plata request the construction of another alternative route as a matter of urgency,” explained Durán.

Likewise, he criticized the slowness of the process carried out by the Public-Private Alliance Council to construct said work in the “Bride of the Atlantic.”

Durán indicated that the development of towns is achieved with land communication routes that connect communities in less time and with greater security.

“This is the priority of Puerto Plata, it is the desire and dream of the people of Puerto Plata to have a new and safe highway,” he said.