FEBRUARY 2009

Agronomist technicians prevented from doing their job

Quarantine Office of Vegetable of Punta Cana Airport

BREAKING NEWS: The president of the National Association of the Agricultural Professionals (Anpa) showed the general manager of the International airport of Punta Cana to prevent the task of the agricultural professionals assigned at the office of vegetable and animal quarantine of the Secretariat of Agriculture of this terminal.

Engineer Frank Pérez Aquino said that the retired general Francisco Alba López torpedoed the inspections and the seizures of products which are not compliant with the sanitary standards established in the country.

The leader of Anpa emitted these considerations while referring to an incident which occurred between several technicians who work in this airport and the singer Julio Iglesias, who wanted to introduce citrus fruits and plants in violation with the procedures established by the Dominican state.

Pérez Aquino shows the civil servant of the airport terminal to be obliging with the passengers who enjoy a great popularity in the country and in the world.

He said that the technicians involved in the incident with Julio Iglesias had been arrested by the private security of the airport and laid off of the department they occupied through an agreement between the airport and the Secretariat of Agriculture.

He revealed that Alba López on many occasions threatened engineer Miguel Andrés Arias, who is in charge of the Quarantine Office of Vegetable of Punta Cana airport. He said that the civil servant of the terminal said that he would relieve him of his position because he did not take into account his requests to let enter any vegetable material.

He expressed that at the time of another incident; the manager of the airport entered in the quarantine office accompanied by a general and took again a vegetable material that the technicians seized because it did not meet the standards of the Vegetable Sanitary Department. He explained that to be introduced into the country, these products have to be authorized by the phyto sanitary authorities of their country and to be accompanied by a non objection letter emitted by the Secretariat of Agriculture of Dominican Republic.

He expressed that Anpa was proud to work with associates who are respecting the laws and the standards which govern the agricultural products and show respect for the country.

He said that the Quarantine Office of Punta Cana airport was managed by technicians demonstrating reliability and professionalism.

Punta Cana Live, 06.02.09

Celebration of the second edition of the Punta Cana Carnival 2008

More than 15 provinces represented

BREAKING NEWS: PUNTA CANA. - On March 7, the East area of the country will be dressed in colors with the celebration of the « Punta Cana Carnival » which will take place on Boulevard 1 de Noviembre, in Puntacana Village, starting fro m 04 : 00 p.m.

It will be the second edition of the carnival where will be represented more than 15 Dominican provinces, with more than 1.000 participants who will march with the aim of showing their cultural and folk traditions to the visitors of the Punta Cana, Bávaro, Macao, Arena Gorda and Uvero Alto sectors.

This carnival is the result of the initiative of the Puntacana Group and its program of Corporative Social Responsibility, the purpose of which is to promote the culture and the Dominican folklore everywhere in the world and especially to the thousands of tourists who visit the Eastern area.

The event is organized by Puntacana Resort & Club and the Union of the Carnival of La Vega.

It receives the support of Presidente, Brugal & Compañía, Tropigás and Codetel.

Punta Cana Live, 12.02.09

Punta Cana Group is a finalist in Tourism of Tomorrow Prizes

In the category Destination Management

BREAKING NEWS: PUNTA CANA. -The Punta Cana Group is among the finalists of 12 destinations to receive the Tourism of Tomorrow Prizes 2009, awarded by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) since 2003.

The Dominican tourism group has been preselected in the category Destination Management.

Awards on the best sustainable practices include Destination Administration or Management, Conservation, Benefits to the Community and Global Tourism Business.

This preselection highlights Punta Cana’s 40th anniversary celebration, and recognizes the work carried out for sustainable tourism development.

Our institution has been one of the pioneers in sustainable tourism in Dominican Republic and is always concerned with aspects that affect the surrounding communities, which turns to us into model development for other destinies the world, said Punta Cana Group president, Frank Rainieri.

An independent international team selected the 12 finalists for each category, for having successfully shown their sustainable tourism practices, including the protection of the natural and cultural inheritance, their economic and social contributions to the local communities and operations respecting the environment.

Costas Christ, president of the selection team, said more than 40 proposals were received this year from countries in six continents.
More and more companies and countries realize that sustainable tourism is not only protecting the environment and cultural diversity, it’s also an important economic opportunity.

He said the selection process for the Tourism of Tomorrow prizes goes beyond what a company affirms on its practices.

Our next phase involves on site evaluation by experts to each finalist project, to determine the selection of a winner in each category.

Dominican Today, 17.02.09

The Dominican Republic is showing its potential

In « the tourist window » of Colombia

BREAKING NEWS: The Secretariat of Tourism (Sectur) directs the delegation which represents the Dominican Republic from February 25 to 27 in Bogota, for the XVIII Fair of International Tourism organized by the Colombian Association of Travel and Tourism, ANATO.

The event, which is recognized as being the « tourist window » of the country, will join together in the Corferiasa International Center of Businesses and Exhibitions, the representatives of travel agencies, wholesalers, hotels, airline companies, of national and international tour operators, tourist offices and tourist suppliers.

During the fair, the director of the Tourist Office of Promotion of Dominican Republic in Colombia, René Contreras, and the supervisor of the Offices of Promotion of the country for South America, Miguelina Ruiz, will meet with the principal executives of the tour operators, travel agents and airlines companies, with who they will work on the planning for 2009.

Sectur will meet with the Los Nómadas and Turivel Tour Operators, with which they will plan a 2009 calendar of charter flights from Colombia to Punta Cana.

They will also meet with SIC-Solways, tour operator of Colombia, Kis-Solways, of Peru and Cuarta Dimensión of Bolivia.

For the Ecuadorian market, the Dominican executives of Sectur will have work meetings with the Viamerica, Maxitravel, Hemisferios and Kentour tour operators, for the planning of charter flights to Punta Cana, La Romana and Puerto Plata.

They will also meet the executives of Copa, American and Avianca airline companies.

On February 27, the Dominican representation of Tourism in Colombia, will take part with the Embassy and Consulate of the country, to the celebration of the National Independence Day, by depositing a floral offering to the Juniors’ School of this nation.

Colombia is currently a significant market for the Dominican Republic in South America. In 2008, a total of 35 thousand 777 Colombian tourists visited the country.

Punta Cana Live, 25.02.09