It is possible there will be a few changes to tourism in the Dominican Republic that veer away from the typical sun and beach holidays and instead will offer and develop tourism in the areas of natural health, diving, golf, culture, hunting, and business with the integration of the local communities. The tourism minister for the Dominican Republic Mr. Felix Jimenez held an interview with National Dominican Newspaper Listin Diario and said that already RD$1.64 million has been spent towards the tourism infrastructure.This has all been paid for from the entrance and exit taxes that tourists pay in the Dominican Republic. The money has been specifically allocated to build aqueducts and sanitary systems in Puerto Plata, Las Terrenas, Cabarete, Luperon and San Pedro. He said the investment includes beach regeneration, studies, design and also the construction of highways and a housing project in Sosua on the north coast of the Dominican Republic.
Felix Jimenez continued to say that the Government aims to regenerate the country’s beaches along the south coast and to build a ferry system that would be able to operate between Sabana de la Mar and Samana. The ferry would be large enough to carry buses. If the ferry were possible then it would be a way to link the Punta Cana and Bavaro regions with the Las Terrenas and Samana tourist hot spots.
These new statements have come just one week after the visit from Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had advised the Minister that Dominican Tourism lacked diversity and was fragile.
