SEPTEMBER 2008

The Dominican Republic « Live » Websites are extending their network with 15 new Websites

Punta Cana Live

The news and general information on the Dominican Republic Live sites offer today 30 Websites for a better national cover.

From now on you can surf from any Live site on the following sectors:

www.republique-dominicaine-live.com
www.saint-domingue-live.com
www.santiago-live.com
www.las-terrenas-live.com
www.samana-live.com
www.las-galeras-live.com
www.puerto-plata-live.com
www.punta-cana-live.com
www.bavaro-live.com
www.la-romana-live.com

and choose between 3 languages : French, English and Spanish.

Punta Cana Live, by the Editorial Staff of the Dominican Republic Live Websites, 01.09.08

Reorganization of the Bavaro Beach Resort

First phase terminated in Autumn

PUNTA CANA. - Barceló Hotels & Resorts began the reorganization of the Bavaro Beach Resort, work which will be concluded in several phases.

The first step will be done in the Bávaro Palace, one of the five hotels which compose this Dominican property. The establishment will have a double capacity.

The first phase of the restoration of the complex will be terminated in autumn. It will be then, according to the group, the new exclusive zone of luxury resort and will increase the quality level of this last.

To the 558 standard rooms of this 5 stars hotel, 488 luxury junior suites will be added, suites which were until now part of the Barceló Bávaro Beach. And this last will have 200 additional units of residences.

In addition to the Bavaro Beach and Bávaro Palace, the resort, located in front of the sea also proposes the Barceló Bávaro Caribe Beach, Barceló Bávaro Golf and Barceló Bávaro Casino.

The 5 establishments have in total 1.921 rooms.

Built in 1985 and exploited under the « all inclusive » mode », the Bávaro Beach Resort was the first property that Barceló opened in the Caribbean.

It is located on a land of 600 hectares with 2 kilometers of beach front.

Among its installations, the establishment proposes also a golf course of 18 holes and a center of conventions with a capacity of 5.000 people.

Al Momento, by Darys Manuel Polanco – Revistaturismo.net, 03.09.08

Two new charters flights per week from Brazil

Starting from December 2008

The tour operator CVC, the most important in Brazil, will have two more charter flights per week from the South American giant to Punta Cana, between December 2008 and the first months of year 2009.

After the success of the charter flight of July, the operator will continue its investments towards the Caribbean destination.

The international commercial director of the CVC, Michael Barkoczy, informed the director of the Tourist Promotion Office (Oficina de Promoción Turística (OPT)) of Dominican Republic in Brazil, Andréa Majela, and declared that he expects to visit the country during this month, in order to meet the new Tourism Secretary, Francisco Javier García, and to continue the promotion of the charter flights.

The two new charter flights will start arriving in December, the first one on December 13th, which route will be: Río de Janeiro-São Paulo-Manaus-Punta Cana.

In the 5 flights of CVC to Punta Cana in the July month and the August first week, 1005 Brazilians traveled to the country to discover the beauty of the beaches on the East coast of Dominican Republic.

In 2007, the Dominican Republic received 12.437 Brazilian tourists and for 2008, the target is to welcome 18.000 visitors from Brazil.

Al Momento, 10.09.08

They ask to eliminate suburbs that disfigure tourist poles

In Punta Cana-Bávaro

Tourism is the main economic activity of the country.

However, the hotel keepers and contractors of the sector claim for more public attention towards this sector.

For example, they consider that it would be urgent to improve the public highway infrastructures (ways, roads, streets and avenues) going to the tourist poles and to start a program of international promotion.

Ernesto Veloz, president of the Association of the Hotels and Tourist Projects of the Eastern Zone, said that these problems appear in a listing of 10 points presented by the organization to the new Tourism Minister, Francisco Javier García.

He commented on that the objective of the contractors and executives of the sector is to consolidate the Dominican Republic as a principal tourist destination of the Caribbean area, by equipping the country with roads allowing connecting the various offers such as sun, beach and mountain in a safe way.

He said that the hotel keepers of Punta Cana-Bávaro had complained especially about the conditions of the surroundings of the zone and about the inadequate public highways, lack of road signs as well as of the great quantity of itinerant salesmen.

They thus claimed to the Secretary of Tourism specific promotion at the international level and the execution of the Tourist Plan of Reorganization.

In the case of the specific promotion of Punta Cana-Bávaro, the hotel keepers are willing to bring 50% of the required funds, specified Veloz.

Punta Cana-Bávaro is the principal destination of the country, with 48 hotels and during year 2007 this tourist complex received two million visitors, which represented 52% of the entire Dominican Republic, added Veloz.

Hoy Digital, by Pedro Germosén, 16.09.08

Russians to invade Dominican beaches by winter

Four charter flights to Punta Cana

MOSCOW. - Two of Russia’s major airlines will increase from two to five their nonstop weekly flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg, starting in winter and spring, which aims to increase flow of Russian tourists to Dominican Republic by more than 100%.

Of these charter flights, four will be to Punta Cana, of the airline Transaero, with 320-passenger planes and one to Puerto Plata, and the carrier Rossya, which will start operations in March to Puerto Plata, using 767-300 jets, with a capacity of 330 seats.

Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia provided the information in a press conference in this city with his Russian par, Anatoy Yorochkin and other executives, as part of a visit to the 14th International Tourism Fair being held in this city.

Dominican Today, 25.09.08

The Batle Group will have a new hotel in Dominican Republic

The Majestic Elegance Punta Cana

The Majestic Hotels and Resorts Chain belonging to the Batle group widens its presence on the Dominican market with the incorporation of a new hotel.

The company already has in the country the Majestic Colonial Punta Cana and now, it adds to its potential the Majestic Elegance Punta Cana whose project required an investment of 55 million dollars.

The grand opening of the installations, of 5 stars category, is planned for the beginning of the month of November.

The establishment has 597 rooms among which 130 enjoy an exclusive service named Elegance Club.

Among the services and the installations one can quote many restaurants, a gymnasium and a spa, and a complementary offer for the golf course and for the casino to the close Majestic Colonial hotel.

Al Momento, 29.09.08