Posts filed under 'Tourism'
Summit to gather major Spanish, Caribbean tourism leaders
Domican-Today
10/2/2007
Source: The Dominican Today

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will stage the "Summit for the Integration and Development of the Caribbean in the 21st Century" on September 14 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, which will gather the 30 major tourism leaders of the Caribbean and Spain with hotel investments in the region.

CHA president elect Enrique De Marchena said the summit's agenda includes an analysis of the problems of tourism development in the Caribbean in this century and the challenges global competition poses for the region.

He said also analyzed will be the impact of Spanish investment in the Caribbean and the implications of the requirement of passports for Americans who travel by air to the region. The agenda includes taxes in the Caribbean, human resources and other subjects of interest for the hospitality industry, he said.

The event, originally proposed by De Marchena in its quality of President Electo of the Caribbean Association Hotel, counts on the organization of this organization and the Preferred Group of Spain, and the auspices of Bancaja and the Group Sun Meli?BR>
Current CTO president Meter Odle, Allen Chastenet, Alec Sanguinetti, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, and Spain's 30 top hoteliers, among others, Gabriel Escarrer, Miguel Fluxa, Abel Matutes, Sim?edro Barcelo, Pablo Pi?, Pepe Hidalgo and Carmen Riu confirmed their participation so far.

For Dominican Republic will attend Punta Cana Group president Frank Rainieri, Hilton Corporation Latin America representative Simon Su?z and Arturo Villanueva, of the National Hotels and Restaurants Association (Asonahores).
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Tourism's growth stalls, Dominican Central Bank figures show
Domican-Today
10/2/2007
Source: The Dominican Today

SANTO DOMINGO.- The number of tourist arrivals by air continues stalled, according to a Central Bank report published yesterday Tuesday. It said between January and August barely 7,163 more nonresident foreigners visited the country than in the same period last year.

This figure shows that tourist arrivals grew only 0.2 percent in the period, much lower than the previous growth rate of 6.9 percent in 2005 and 10.1 percent in 2006.

In the first eight months this year 2, 455,932 tourists came to the country, whereas 2,448,769 million visited in the same 2006 period. The fall in arrivals of nonresident Dominicans was even sharper (-6.1 percent), the Central Bank said.

The tourism industry is Dominican Republic's main generator of currency and has posted solid sustained growth since 1990, except this year.
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Ritz-Carlton to build luxury hotel in Dominican Cap Cana complex
Domican-Today
10/2/2007
Source: The Dominican Today

SANTO DOMINGO.- The tourism and real estate complex Cap Cana yesterday signed an agreement with the exclusive U.S.-based chain Ritz-Carlton Hotels, to build a world class luxury hotel "The Ritz-Carlton, Cap Cana," along with a residential project "Residences At The Ritz-Carlton, Cap Cana."

The hotel will have 220 rooms, a 1,490 square meter spa, a private beach club, five restaurants and lounges.

"The Ritz-Carlton, Cap Cana" and the 194 private beach and golf residences in "The Ritz-Carlton, Cap Cana" is slated for opening in the beginning of 2010, at an estimated cost of US$1.0 billion, in real estate sales and construction. "The Ritz-Carlton, Cap Cana" will use materials of the Caribbean, large balconies with a view of the sea and natural lighting in each of its spaces.

It will also have 745 square meters of conferences areas including a 540 square meter salon for events and will provide individual guests or groups a variety of options for each occasion, such as corporative meetings, weddings and social gathering, said the Group Cap Cana in a statement.
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Developer aims to "change face" of little-known Dominican tourist destination
Domican-Today
10/2/2007
Source: The Dominican Today

LAS SALINAS, Dominican Republic.- A local developer aims to "change the face of Las Salinas" with a construction project he hopes will attract more tourists to the area. Jorge Domenech, president and owner of the Salinas Hotel, says the region, with its spectacular mountain views and clean beaches, has a lot to offer tourists looking for something off the beaten track. "It's a natural environment," he says. "It's exactly the same as it was when Christopher Columbus came to the island." Construction is already underway on an apartment and hotel complex across from the existing hotel, and is expected to finish next month. After that, pending approval from local authorities, Domenech plans to completely renovate the original hotel, building 40 condominiums and a new marina on the site that could be open as early as next year. But John Van Allen, an alternative energy consultant who has been coming to Las Salinas for forty years to enjoy its unspoiled beauty, says increased tourist traffic brings a multitude of problems along with its boost to the local economy, including trash, crime and prostitution. "Anytime you have development, tourism, foreigners, movement, you get problems," Van Allen says. "You see it in Boca Chica. Not so much in Juan Dolio, but it's there. Here, it's unheard of."Van Allen hopes Las Salinas will be able to maintain its reputation as a peaceful hideaway once the development is complete. Las Salinas is named for the salt flats that surround it. The area is also being explored as a potential site for a wind farm as an alternative source of energy to help ease the strain on the country's power grid.

Author: Alexandra Pope
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Dominican hoteliers want State-owned hotels to be privately run
Domican-Today
10/2/2007
Source: The Dominican Today

SANTO DOMINGO. - The National Hotels and Restaurants Association (Asonahores) said on Tuesday it supports the privatization of the Hotel Monta?Jarabacoa (central), one day after the government's hotel holding agency Corphotels announced the lease.

Asonahores executive vice-president Arturo Villanueva said the Monta?ad been in ruins for years and the agreement announced yesterday includes its remodeling and resumed operations.

He said the hoteliers also support privatizing the government-owned hotels in Saman?northeast), San Jose de las Matas (northwest), Barahona (southwest), among others.

The Tourism Ministry, through Corphotel, leased the Monta?or US$2,000 monthly for 35 years to the company Pareatis, which agreed to spend RD$300 million in next 5 years. Preatis said it plans to reopen it in February with 43 rooms.

The Dominican Government owns 17 hotels located in the capital and in several provinces.
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Two world chains to build hotels in Dominican Republic
Domican-Today
10/2/2007
Source: The Dominican Today

WASHINGTON. - International hoteliers told president Leonel Fernandez they are willing to make important investments in the country and will visit Dominican territory to continue in the coming months.

The chief executive spoke Tuesday with the representatives of hotel chains Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons,

Alfonso Paniagua, representative of the resort Casa de Campo, La Romana (east) said construction of a Four Seasons, 200 room luxury hotel will begin in the next few months.

As to the Ritz Carlton, Ellis Perez, executive of the group Cap Cana, said in the next 24 months that company will start to build a luxury hotel in that resort, located in Altagracia Province (east).

Fernandez spoke with the executives of the hotel chains as part of the activities of Dominican Week, in the U.S. capital. He was accompanied by the first lady, Margarita Cede?nd senior government officials.
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Crisis management needs strategic approach, World Tourism Organization says
Domican-Today
10/2/2007
Source: The Dominican Today

Madrid.- The need for a more strategic approach to risk and crisis management has been confirmed by recent events such as the forest fires in Greece, hurricanes in Central America, and the earthquake in Indonesia. While these events are challenges to travelers and the tourism sector, they also reflect the number and kinds of natural and man-made disasters which affect the world as a whole.

Tourism authorities from Greece, Honduras and Indonesia informed UNWTO that recent events have not caused major changes in the schedules of travelers. While this reflects the resilience of the travel and tourism industry, it also underlines the need for a strategic and rapid response of the industry to the adversities.

In an effort to further increase its response mechanisms, UNWTO has allocated additional resources and realigned its general Program of Work for the years 2008/2009 to help better face these challenge.

UNWTO draws on its rich experience and proven capability in the work done so far for the recovery of tourism in the post tsunami Phuket Action Plan of February 2005 and the various efforts on Avian and Human Influenza pandemic.

Furthermore, the creation of the Tourism Emergency Response Network (TERN), simulation exercises, and the establishment of the dedicated website sos.travel, have all expanded the existing platform to counter the threat of human and man-made disasters that seem to challenge the world more and more.

The close collaboration with other UN bodies and agencies such as the UN System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to name a few, should reinforce UNWTO in its future endeavors to tackle all forms of crises to the tourism industry as a whole.

The Organization will be presenting its report on strengthening its crisis management activities for discussion at the forthcoming UNWTO General Assembly in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, 22-29 November 2007, and hopes to receive full endorsement by its Members for its plans.
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Jose Rafael Sosa wins the Dominican Tourism Press prize
Domican-Today
10/2/2007
Source: The Dominican Today

SANTO DOMINGO.- The journalist Jose Rafael Sosa, of the newspaper El Nacional, won the Grand Prize in the 4th Epifanio Lantigua Tourism Press Prize, sponsored by the chain Occidental Hotels and the Dominican Tourism Press Association (Aompretur).

Geraldino Gonz?z won the television category; Yaniris Lopez won in online journalism, Javier Noguera took the prize in radio, and Augusto V?uez won the special prize dedicated to Puerto Plata. The journalists William Rodriguez, Desiree Martinez, and Soranyi Campa?nd the magazine Bohio received special mentions.

Adompretur president Manuel Quiterio Cede?osted the gala, which also marked the entity's 30th anniversary.

The award ceremony took place in the emblematic Occidental Hotel El Embajador, and the chain's executive Ventura Serra delivered the welcome speech.
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Proposed port pits icon Dominican beach town, developers
Domican-Today
10/2/2007
Source: The Dominican Today

BAYAHIBE.- Though the community paradisiacal Bayahibe, located 25 kilometers east of La Romana (east), doesn't oppose the construction of a port, it rejects the point selected by the developers Embarcaderos Turisticos del Caribe, who signed a contract with the Tourism Ministry.

The some 70 meter long swath of beach available to the population after several hotels were built would be taken over by the company, along with adjacent lands whose owners have businesses they built with much effort.

Tourism development turned Bayahibe from a community which languished in poverty in the 1980s, into one of the east region's most coveted areas.

The port's proposed construction, through a 20 years management contract granted to the company, would drive hundreds of businesses into bankruptcy and the loss of more than 14,000 jobs.

The owners of boats, businesses, of small and even large hotels reject the site proposed for the facility. They said if the little area of beach left is closed off, Bayahibe would lose its attractiveness, its value and investments and suggest using the area of rocky shore instead.

"Bayahibe has been developed with a concerted effort of all the community and established a commercial area that now is tempting for economic sectors who haven't done any type of investment, to try to reap what others, with great sacrifices, have developed," said the representatives of the associations.

The natives Nercy Brito, Milvio Antonio Brito, Ramon Brito, Freddy Rijo, Lydia Morla the Italian Stefano Ciattone and their lawyer Juan Julio B? said while they don't oppose the port's construction, they won't allow the company to expropriate the beach.
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Responding to global challenges- 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism
Domican-Today
10/2/2007
Source: The Dominican Today

Davos. - More than 600 participants from over 100 countries and 20 international organizations are at the 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism in Davos, Switzerland which opened this Monday. Organized by UNWTO together with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and supported by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Swiss Government, the three-day Conference addresses the global challenge of climate change and action by the tourism sector in both adaptation of destinations and mitigation of its own impacts.

In opening the Conference, H.E. Dr. Eric Scheidegger, Deputy Director of the Swiss Secretariat of State for Economic Affairs, stressed the need for fostering the full use of the adaptation potential of the tourism sector and supporting market-based off-setting mechanisms. Dr. Scheidegger welcomed UNWTO's initiative to make the Conference carbon neutral.

To be consistent with UNWTO's commitment to sustainable travel, the Organization has asked participants to register with carbon offsetting organizations. Carbon offsetting mitigates greenhouse gas emissions and can involve renewable energy projects (such as solar, wind power and hydroelectricity or biomass and biofuels) and tree planting, among others.

In his opening speech, UNWTO Secretary-General Franceso Frangialli emphasized that "A revolution, not just economic or technological, but also cultural, is what climate change in calling for the tourism world to bring about." At the same time he underscored that "tourism is linked to poverty alleviation. It would be an error to take an overly simplistic approach in which apprehensions regarding climate would lead to losing sight of all other priorities."

Multi-Stakeholder Conference

Participants from public administrations, the private sector, the academic community and civil society at large are gathered to discuss particular issues around the response of the tourism sector to global warming, focusing on both destinations and activities.

The focus on destinations will consider:

- Coastal destinations and small islands;

- Mountain regions and winter tourism; and

- Nature-based destinations.

The response of the tourism sector also has to build around the various sectors and activities of this industry. This will be the subject of a final plenary session on mitigation with a special focus on:

- Transport;

- Tour operation and

- Accommodation.

Ongoing challenge

Climate change is not new to UNWTO's agenda. Since the 1st International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, convened by UNWTO in Djerba, Tunisia in 2003, a growing body of knowledge has been generated addressing the complex relationships between the tourism sector and climate change with important research activities on this subject.

Just as climate change is being addressed globally under UN leadership, UNWTO has the responsibility of formulating how the tourism industry can adapt to and mitigate the climate challenge.

The results of the Conference will be summarized in the Davos Declaration to be presented at the closing session on 3 October. The outcome will be considered at a UNWTO Ministerial Summit in London on 13 November, with the support of the World Travel Market and the UK Government, and factored as appropriate into the overall UN Strategy for Climate Change Response to be discussed in Bali later in December.
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