Category : Dominican Republic

Cap Cana restructures US$364.0M debt as beach high-rises loom

New York.- The group Cap Cana SA completed a debt restructuring for US$364.0 million, according to a press release issued in New York on Monday. The announcement comes just one week after the Tourism Ministry and the Dominican Republic Hotels and Tou...

Dominican official refutes US’ ‘travel risk’ label

Santo Domingo.- Tourism Ministry spokesman, Napoleón de la Cruz on Fri. rebuffed the US State Dept.’s assertion that American travelers should be ‘careful’ when visiting the Dominican Republic as tourists, calling it one of the safe...

How a US$1.3B investment trumped the East’s ‘strict zoning’

Santo Domingo.- When on May 19, 2017 Tourism minister, Francisco Javier García, visited the east region, he included Macao beach in his tour. Once there, he promised stricter regulations, on a “technical study” that would lead to “i...

They’re back!: humpback whales frolic, birth and mate

Samana, Dominican Republic.- As every year, humpback whales, the Atlantic’s most charismatic species is found in Dominican waters to frolic in the still warm waters, give birth and mate. Although the official whale-watching season starts in Jan...

Dominican Republic allows 22-floor high-rises near beaches

Santo Domingo.- Tourism minister Francisco Javier García on Wed. announced that from now the construction of high-rises as tall as 22 floors will be allowed in Punta Cana (east). The bombshell announcement comes after weeks of reports of a standoff p...

Big challenge: Swim safely in the capital’s rivers by 2030

Santo Domingo.- Just a year ago the Environment Ministry issued a deadline to the companies which gutted boats for scrap metal on Santo Domingo’s Ozama and Isabela rivers, whose operations polluted those bodies of water. Barely 12 months since...

Dominican hoteliers flinch, pave way for high-rises near beaches

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Republic’s hoteliers grouped in (ASONAHORES) on Tues. agreed to talks with the Tourism Ministry to seek solutions that continue the “successful tourism development model.” Asonahores called its announced w...

Ports set records: 2017 cruise ship arrivals by the numbers

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Republic again set a records in the arrival of cruise passengers from Jan. to Dec. 2017 surpassing 1.5 million visitors through the country’s main tourism ports. In addition to the country’s sustained growth and...

Dominican Republic’s biggest resort denies towers violate zoning

Santo Domingo.- The Cap Cana resort group affirmed Mon. that it has fully complied with Tourism Ministry zoning on the construction of maximum floors at beachfronts warning that changing the rules puts legal security at stake. In a published stateme...

La Sierra: wild adventure, pure adrenaline

San Jose de las Matas, Dominican Republic.- One of the country’s best kept secrets awaits adrenaline junkies with sports linked to the environment, such as alpinism, waterfalls, hidden hot springs, zip lines and trampolines “If for this 2...

Dominican health tourism sector thrives on competitiveness

Saint Domingo.- The health tourism sector’s market dimension, unknown in the Dominican Republic, as well as the idealization of strategies and systematization of good practices, are behind the agreement signed by the Competitiveness Council an...

Hush-hush high-rises roil Dominican Republic tourism zoning

Santo Domingo.- At the beginning of December Tourism Ministry officials approached Verón-Punta Cana (east) ruling party (PLD) mayor Ramón Ramirez to ask him if he had received requests for permits to build high-rises at Macao beach. He told them no,...

Hoteliers oppose East Coast high-rise plans

Santo Domingo.- A sudden change to the Sectorial Plan for Tourism Land Management in Punta Cana, Bávaro-Macao, allowing the construction of high-rise buildings in Macao, had led to a confrontation between the hotel sector and the government. Some sec...

New security measure at Las Américas airport

Santo Domingo.- A new security measure is being introduced by airlines operating regular flights from the Dominican Republic to the United States via Las Américas International Airport (AILA). Some departing passengers will be asked to complete a que...

Fire destroys Quisqueya Stadium press stand

Santo Domingo.- A fire caused serious damage to the press stand at the Quisqueya Baseball Stadium Wednesday night. The cause is unknown. The fire broke out before the game between the Gigantes del Cibao and the Leones del Escogido when smoke was firs...