First company of this type in the country
BREAKING NEWS: The specialized company in administration and operation of hotels and tourist residential complexes, Coral Hospitality Corp., presented its new corporative image and its new names Coral Comfort and Coral Elite under whose it will market its new housing offer.
Coral Hospitality Corp. is the first company of this type in the country which offers all the services of management, with products of high quality, focused on a public looking for excellence during the holiday time
expressed Julio Llibre, president of the organization.
Joel Santos, Executive Vice-president, explained that this company is the continuity of the hotel operator Coral Hotel & Resorts, company founded in 1997 and now focused towards a more complete and competitive organization and which offers administration and hotels and condominiums operations services in several categories.
He said that Coral Hospitality Corp. was the only organization specialized in the management and the local and international marketing of the housing offer made up today by residential tourist complexes of villas and apartments which are out of the traditional hotel properties, in addition to its experience of development and planning of this type of properties.
The existing names are « Coral Hotels & Resorts » , « Coral Elite Services Residences » and « Coral Comfort Services Residences »
Moreover, the company manages the « Insense » Spa; established for several years in the country and « Antillean Marketing Services »; an operating platform which manages the hotel reservations, the invoicing, the cashing and the customer services through a Call Center developed and managed by the company.
Under the name « Coral Elite Services Residences » , the company develops the projects Grand Laguna Beach, a complex on the beach of Sosúa, and Vista Mare, an exclusive residential complex in the bay of Samaná. Both will open in spring 2009.
It also should be underlined the project « Playa Bonita Marina & Residences » in Las Terrenas, Samaná, planned for the end of 2009.
It is a residential housing complex with a sporting marina and installations of first category in which Coral Hospitality Corp acts as developer and will be the future administrator.
El Nuevo Diario, 01.12.08
Condor airline offers more space and comfort in Premium Econony Class
Flights to Samaná
BREAKING NEWS: The Condor airline company launched the new Premium Economy class, in which, with a supplement, the passengers can have a space with 15 additional centimetres to be able to stretch the legs during the flight.
The new class has 35 seats, with a space of 91.4 centimetres separating them from the front seat.
The seats of the Premium Economy class also have reclining back seat and a footrest which improve the ergonomics of the position.
The purpose of all these comfortable accessories is to avoid the syndrome of the economy class, and to be able to move the legs during the long distance flights to avoid circulations’ problems
; explained executives of Condor.
Other advantages of this new class are to be welcomed on board with a drink and a snack, to taste during the flight the « Supreme Menu » with drinks included, to have larger blankets and pillows and to receive a « Supreme Condor Wellbeing Set », which includes a sleep mask, a tooth brush, etc .
Condor proposes its class Premium Economy to the following international destinations during the winter season: Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and Samaná.
NexoTour.com, 02.12.08
Troops comb Los Haitises National Park
The operation forms part of an inter-institutional agreement to protect the nation’s natural resources
BREAKING NEWS: The Armed Forces have put 1,500 people out to comb the Los Haitises National Park (LHNP) in an operation designed to dislodge persons that are illegally farming the land.
They are also looking for illegal aliens and drugs.
Rear-Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, the Armed Forces chief of operations, explained that the troops are focusing on eliminating crops, cattle grazing, and possible areas where illegal boats take off for Puerto Rico, as well as areas where they build the boats and cut down trees.
Elements of the Army and Navy, special forces of the Air Force, the National Environmental Protection Service, forest rangers of the Ministry of the Environment, inspectors from Immigration, the National Drug Control Department (DNCD) and the National Investigation Department (DNI) are all taking part in the operation.Lee Ballester said that we are penetrating the area, and although we do not have evidence, we are going to see if there is some illegal crops being grown, and that is why DNCD agents are present.
Intelligence reports stated that years ago marijuana crops were found in the El Limon section.
The ministers of the Armed Forces and the Environment, Pedro Pena Antonio and Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal, pointed out that the operation forms part of an inter-institutional agreement to protect the nation’s natural resources.
Minister of the Environment Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal complained that more than 2,000 small farms and 980 houses that were given to persons removed from LHNP are now in the hands of people that were not the original recipients.
Fernandez emphasized that this operation is of reconnaissance and cleaning up, since there are not many people living inside the park area in Los Haitises. What we have are people growing crops in violation of the law and setting criminal fires.
He went on to say, in order to eliminate these slash and burn plots that are inside (the park) and to get all of the cattle out, we needed a lot of people, and that is why we have personnel from the different institutions.
Diario Libre, 03.12.08
Work Continuation in Las Terrenas
Two more asphalt trucks
BREAKING NEWS, Las Terrenas.- The employees of the Town hall and the Public works are going to receive this afternoon 2 asphalt trucks to finish the works in the corner of the Duarte and Carmen Streets.
After the Mella (hospital), Sánchez, Ramón Matías (street of the butcher), Libertad (Paseo and Police) and a part of the Camen streets, it will now to have to asphalt the Main Street (Duarte) in order to terminate everything.
The Ministries of Tourism and Public works held their promises to put a term at this disaster which had too much lasted for all the population of the village of Las Terrenas.
The rain waters drainage of the Las Terrenas-Sánchez road were also cleaned in order to begin its renovation work at the beginning of next year.
Las Terrenas Live, 04.12.08
Dominican national park militarization fuels farmers’ protest
« Operation Hutía 2008 »
BREAKING NEWS : 1,200 soldiers including six women cadets and Environment Ministry (SEMARENA) rangers yesterday began the cleanup of illegal crops in the heart of the Los Haitises National Park’s, fueling protest by farmers who affirm the Government has stripped them of the only form of subsistence.
The protected area’s different zones are militarized as part of « Operation Hutía 2008 » aimed at bolstering the vigilance to reclaim the park, considered a strategic reserve for water, flora and fauna.
Army Brigadier general Felipe Henríquez Molina said the command post for two battalions will established at the town Pilancón.
The battalion’s women soldiers –from San Isidro’s military academy Batalla de las Carreras- do the same activities as the men; carry their own gear and sleep in pup tents, but don’t command platoons.
Dominican Today, 05.12.08
Exporters say Europe buys more than the U.S.
Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union
BREAKING NEWS: Dominican Exporters Association (ADOEXPO) president Ricardo Koenig said Dominican Republic’s trade with European countries accounts for 29.33 percent of national exports, which is higher than exports to United States, of 26.47 percent.
The business leader was one of the Dominican private sector representatives who participated in the negotiation of the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union (EPA).
Koenig spoke at the first seminar organized by the of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation and the Dominican Republic Export and Investment Center (CEI-RD), aimed at providing information on the scope of the EPA, the opportunities for the business sector and the country’s development.
Dominican Today, 08.12.08
Air Berlin introduces long-haul flights to Samana
Air Berlin, Europe’s fourth largest airline in terms of European traffic
BREAKING NEWS : The company is to offer UK passengers long haul flights to Punta Cana and Samana from Stansted Airport for the first time.
Starting 7th November 2008, new long haul connections are servicing from via the airline’s major hub in Düsseldorf, just over one hour flight time from London Stansted. For the winter season 2008/09, connecting flights from Stansted to a total of nine long haul destinations are available for booking.
Titus Johnson, Air Berlin Country Manager for the UK & Ireland, said: Air Berlin has a great reputation for providing full service at lower fares, and we’re excited to now be able to offer travelers from London, East England and beyond, even more choice to an exciting range of long haul destinations
.
The other flights announced are Miami and Fort Myers, Varadero (Cuba), Mombasa, Bangkok and Male, which can be booked online (airberlin.com).
Dominican Today, 09.12.08
ONAMET issues an alert because of the strong swells
Coastal area of Las Terrenas
BREAKING NEWS: The National office of Meteorology issued an alert to small and fragile boats to limit to sail close to the coasts because of the strong waves and swell, while it forecasts few possibilities of rains and fresh temperatures.
These big swell is the result of a wind flow coming from the East/North-eastern which is maintained and influenced the country, because of a High pressure system located over the water of the North Atlantic.
Very few possibility of rain is expected over the North, the North-East and East areas and over some isolated South-eastern portions.
The temperatures will still remain fresh during the night, the dawn and the first hours tomorrow morning.
Las Terrenas Live, 10.12.08
The farmers of Los Haïtises make a picket in front of the Secretariat of the Environment
They ask for lands and compensations
BREAKING NEWS: Agricultural producers grouped within the Movement of the Country Workers « The United Communities » carried out yesterday a picket in front of the Secretariat of the Environment and the Natural Resources by requiring their re housing on state lands as well as the payment of the food products which were collected by soldiers at the time of the operations of evacuations.
Quintino Santos, spokesman of the movement, announced that if the ministry did not take into account their complaints, the organizations would require compensations for damages to the Secretary of the Environment for the destruction of their cultures.
He pointed out that since 1992, when seven thousand families were dislodged of the Los Haïtises National park, only two thousand families were rehoused, this is why the 5 thousand other families are waiting for 16 years now for other lands so that they can go away from the protected area.
He denounced that approximately 800 soldiers continued to destroy the cultures, thus causing them incalculable material losses.
The farmer’s leader required the suspension of the evacuations, because in addition to carrying the yuccas, batatas, yautías and other products, they also destroy residences in the periphery of the Los Haïtises National park.
Approximately 200 farmers come from Los Haïtises in 12 guaguas required to be received by the Secretary of the Environment, Jaime David Fernández, but the civil servant was not there and a commission was received by the director of communications of the Ministry, Mayo Rodríguez.
Las Terrenas Live, 11.12.08
Inauguration of the Municipal Park of Las Terrenas
Today Friday at 04.00 p.m
BREAKING NEWS: The municipality of Las Terrenas finally will inaugurate the first Municipal Park of Las Terrenas which is located in front of the sea.
Terminated very recently, it is decorated for the Festive season like the entire village. Thus a pretty decorated tree is erected lose to the gazebo, surrounded by Christmas figurines.
The inauguration of the Municipal Park will take place this afternoon, Friday December 12, at 04.00 p.m in the presence of the Mayor of Las Terrenas, José Alexis Martinez, as well as representatives of the Tourist Office of Las Terrenas.
Come to attend this historical event, which will enable you to discover and enjoy the first Municipal Park of Las Terrenas.
Las Terrenas Live, 12.12.08
Expensive and deficient energy: some hotels open only three months per year
Economical meeting
BREAKING NEWS: The President of the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores), Haydée Rainieri, and the executive director of the organization, Arturo Villanueva, defined the insufficiencies of the energy system, as the main issue which affects the hotel sector, because in addition to be an expensive service, it represents an obstacle for tourist classification.
Villanueva announced that, if the energy problems were not solved immediately in the country, the seasonal character of the sector
will take place, which means that many structures will open only three months per year because the cost of the electricity service exceeds the earnings of the companies.
In this way, they will ask the State to grant them the same treatment as for the free zones, like users not controlled with regard to the electric cost, able to choose the company which offers the best price. He indicated that the Dominican hotel business suffered from a great disadvantage because the hotels must pay 52 cents per kilowatt, while competition pays only between 11 and 21 cents per kilowatt.
He added that some hotels had already threatened to close their establishments if the provisioning was not improved and he quoted among them the Dominican-Italian Viva Widham group, which deferred that they preferred to close their hotel in Las Terrenas and to open it only in high season, because they pay more electricity than the whole money they gain.
While Haydée Rainieri explained that hotel classification process requires that a hotel has air conditioning and a television in the rooms to be classified with three stars. But she added that, for that they have to pay an additional selective tax for luxury articles
.
She indicated that pitfalls of this nature paralyzed the process of the hotels classification. Questioned on the reduction in the competitiveness and the profitability of some poles, Rainieri answered that the hotel ones are committed to improve competitiveness of the sector; this is why they took immediate actions to improve the infrastructures of the country, like the roads and the communication ways.
The president of Asonahores reiterated that the organization not only transmitted a positive message by ensuring that there would not have to close hotels nor to dismiss personnel because of the international financial crisis.
According to Haydée Rainieri, the reduction in the visitors which started to be felt in the month of August, after a favorable winter season, it would be possible to close this year with only a 1% fall compared to 2007.
She considers that the tourist future of the country is promising, because it is a solid, established and strengthened industry and, especially, conscious of the improvements which it needs.
She said that to face the current situation, Asonahores works to the reinforcement of the promotion of the tourist offer, to benefit from the slack periods in other countries because of the crisis.
She explained that on the promotion level, they performed initiatives like special packages,
proposed to the tourists by the tour operators, with additional offers.
According to the company manager, these initiatives are accompanied by an advertisement and promotion campaign of the Secretariat of Tourism.
Las Terrenas Live, 15.12.08
The European Union makes gift of funds for the environment
Climatic change
BREAKING NEWS: The European Union made a gift of 33 million euros so that the Dominican Republic invests them in programs aiming at reducing the greenhouse effect gas emissions, responsible of the phenomenon known under the name of global warming.
The programs will be carried out through the National Coordinator for the European Development Funds and the Secretariat of Higher Education, Science and Technology, organization which undertakes the research.
The initiative will be set up through the European Union ACP program for research in Science and Technology and will include the topics of the climate change, of the loss of bio-diversity, deforestation, the turning into desert and the rise in the sea levels, as well as the subject of energy, with a special attention for the renewable sources, like the solar one and the wind, among others.
The Meeting of the organizations Domingo Jiménez, Onfed and Ligia Amada Mello de Cardona with the director of the Department of Regional Co-operation, Lidia Encarnación, also decided to support the agricultural processing industry and the food safety.
Las Terrenas Live, 16.12.08
The Deputy Chamber approves the second phase of the Santo Domingo – Samaná road
The contract was accepted by the Senate and will be re-examined by the Executive power
BREAKING NEWS:The Deputy Chamber approved the concession contract of the Santo Domingo – Samaná road yesterday, for the beginning of the second stage of the project which will be completed with an investment 160.6 million dollars.
The initiative was approved unanimously by the deputies present during the session, who emitted a favorable report presented by the commission of the Public Works.
The financing of this stage will be also private and the road will be built by The Tourist Atlantic Boulevard, to which the Autopistas del Nordeste Company yields and subrogates the realization of the network relating to the public highway Nagua-Samaná.
The project includes the road which will connect Nagua-Rincón de Molinillos-Sánchez-Santa Barbara de Samaná-El Limón- Las Terrenas – the International airport of El Catey, which represents approximately 124 kilometers.
The contract will be sent to the Executive Power for its promulgation
Las Terrenas Live, 17.12.08
Dominican tourism will escape the crisis again, top official says
Plan to improve Las Terrenas and resort regions
BREAKING NEWS: Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia is convinced that Dominican tourism will surface unscathed from the global financial crisis, as he said has occurred in other occasions.
Yesterday the official said his arguments aren’t just based on optimism, citing that the industry’s growth until November was 2 percent.
He also spoke of his plans to improve the environs of the resort regions.
Tourism is infallible to the great crises because it has withstood all of them,
he said, adding that despite the global financial crisis’ impact on the tourist business, Dominican Republic’s industry grew from January to November, compared with the same period last year.
Garcia said the tourist activity in general has been able to withstand five crises: the United States real estate problems, the jump in oil prices, the fall in food production, and the difficulties in the financial and equity markets.
He said the number of tourists from the United States – the financial fiasco’s epicenter and simultaneously the country’s main market, grew 1.61 percent this year.
As to the winter season that begins in December, he said it has begun well, above the expectations in a year that been has been marred by an economic crisis of global dimensions.
Interviewed by the Corripio Communications Group, Garcia said three fundamental zones sustain the Dominican tourism market: North America, Europe and the emergent countries.
United States, Canada and Mexico account for 50 percent of the tourists; Europe 39.8 percent and emergent countries 10 percent.
The number of tourists from North America grew 4.52 percent from January to November, although from Europe there was a 2 percent loss, because when periods of crisis take place the most affected markets are the far destinations.
Garcia stressed that despite those negative numbers, France, the European country that brings the most tourists to the country, grew 3 this year.
He said the figures from the countries known as emergent such as Russia grew 88 percent; Poland 83 percent; Argentina 29 percent; Chile 38 percent and Peru 43 percent. So what we must do is to define strategies for 2009, to cushion the negative part that’s projected for the summer.
Dominican Today, 18.12.08
The Secretary of Tourism meets with travel agents
Dominican Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies
BREAKING NEWS: The secretary of Tourism, Francisco Javier García, met with the directors of the Dominican Association of the Travel and Tourism Agencies (Adavit), with who he examined proposals, projects and strategies which will be able to consolidate the tourist growth in the country.
Jochy Mella, Adavit president, underlined the support that the travel agents and the tour operators received from the Secretariat of Tourism. We are grateful that the Secretary answers our invitation, and that he was very receptive to our requests and our concerns. We are very happy with the support we received and we are very honored with this visit as a sector
indicated Mella at the end of the lunch to which the Association of Tourism Operators of Dominican Republic (Opetur) also participated.
He underlined the support of Sectur, ratified by the holder for the task which we are carrying out since the 37 years of existence of the organization.
Luis Felipe Aquino, president of the Tourist Stock Market of the Caribbean (BTC) and of the Confederation of the Tourist Organizations of Latin America (COTAL) at the regional level and Denise Reyes, vice-president of Adavit; Mariano Rodriguez, representative of the Wholesalers; Katia González, secretary and Edison Ureña, Under-secretary of Adavit also attended the meeting.
Las Terrenas Live, 19.12.08
Advanced work in Las Terrenas
Slowly but surely…
BREAKING NEWS: The continuity of the renovation work of the streets of Las Terrenas was performed these last days at the crossing between the Calle Carmen and the Calle Duarte on the level of the Abundio bridge, as well as in a portion of each one of these streets.
At the same time we learned that the Atlantic Boulevard budget for 160 million US $ was unanimously approved by the members of the Senate for a starting as of next January.
This work includes asphalting, reorganization and installation of road signs for the circuit Nagua – Sánchez – Samaná – El Limón – Las Terrenas – El Catey.
This budget will also make it possible to terminate the deviation Las Terrenas – El Limón, to finish the repair of the road Sánchez – Las Terrenas and to start the road works to the toll road Las Terrenas – El Catey.
Las Terrenas Live, 22.12.08
Restriction of the traffic of the heavy trucks
Prevention of accidents
BREAKING NEWS: The traffic of the heavy trucks will be prohibited on December 24, 25 26 and from December 31 to January 2 on all the roads, streets and avenues of the country, during the Festive season, informed yesterday the secretariat of Public Works.
The purpose of this measure is to avoid the accidents or to reduce those to the minimum.
The measure will be in force from today at midday to Friday 26, at 06:00 p.m. and from Wednesday 31 at midday until Friday January 2, 2009.
Public Works ministry explained that the measure will not be applied for the vehicles which transport fuels and perishable foodstuffs.
The Head office of the Terrestrial Traffic is the dependence of this ministry which is authorized to deliver authorizations to the vehicles for the exceptions.
The measure is applied according to Law 241 on the traffic of the motor vehicles and seeks to avoid regrettable accidents during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Public Works thanks the population for its understanding for the inconvenient this measure could cause.
During these last days, heavy trucks vehicles were involved in road accidents which killed people. During the month, one deplores the death of 16 people according to the reports of the National Police, in accidents recorded on the roads of the South and the North of the country, and these collisions also caused tens of injured people.
Las Terrenas Live, 23.12.08