Important challenge

The Dominican Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, the European Communities and the Czech and Poland republics, Doctor Federico Cuello, considered that the agreement signed recently – Agreement of Partnership signed by the European Union, the Dominican Republic and the Central America – is the most important challenge that the country currently meets. The diplomat meant that through this mechanism, the country can develop its trade and receive flows of investments in a more balanced way, accelerate the generation of employment and raise the standard of living of the population.

Cuello emitted these considerations at the time of a conference given to the Center of Latin-American Studies (CESLA) of the University of Warsaw and entitled the Dominican Republic at the century XXI: Provocations and challenges, during which he made a short report of the commercial and economic history of the country since colonial times.

In his talk, Ambassador Cuello also examined the challenges derived from the signature of the last agreements of free Commerce, like that of European Association signed between Cariforo and the European Union, to which he took part as negotiator of the Caribbean concerning the services and the investments.

Which contrast now, 400 years after devastations of Osorio. The same colonial powers which disputed the right to trade and sail freely are now united to promote the free commerce of the goods and services with theCaribbean, he announced.

In this way, he affirmed that now Dominican Republic, as headquarters of the greatest economy of the Caribbean and from Central America, will consolidate its role of bridge between the two commercial powers of the world, Europe and USA.

Cuello comparatively evaluated the conditions reached through the DR-CAFTA and the AAE with the European Union, by meaning that the purpose of this last agreement is to obtain the extension of the trade and the investment, as a mean to reach this purpose which is the development of the country.

It is the vision of President Leonel Fernández, promoted by his cabinet, in particular by the chancellor Carlos Morales Troncoso. Since his first government, he puts this vision ahead and it is now, nearly the end of his second mandate that that starts to become a reality, said the diplomat.

On this subject, he underlined the potential of opportunities offered by the Dominican market to the investors and the European contractors.

Among the people who attended the conference there were professors and students of the academy, journalists, the Ambassador of Panama and the representatives of the Latin-American embassies accredited in Warsaw.

El Nuevo Diario, 01.02.08

The digital press becomes the media par excellence in DR

2.2 million users

The fact that more than two million of Dominicans currently have Internet access, and that in all the country the centers where the public can have access to this service are multiplying, transforms the digital newspapers into the first media in Dominican Republic.

According to the National Commission for the Society Information and Knowledge (CNSIC) in this country, a total of 2.2 million people, equivalent to 23.8% of the population, have access to the world network and there is more than 290 thousand accounts in their various methods of connection.

There are more Internet accounts every day, which implies that every time more Dominicans are using the network for their personal, student’s and professional businesses, said Rafaël Vargas, president of this commission and of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications.

The accelerated advance of Internet and the sudden appearance of many digital newspapers and commercial or personal pages, practically put in failure the written periodical newspapers, which have every time less readers in Dominican Republic.

Like in the United States and in other countries, a considerable part of the companies intends an annual budget for publicity on Internet, because this media concern more general public than the newspaper industry, the radio and even the television.

The Dominican digital press also endangers the companies of publicity boards, because the persons in charge for the media of the advertising agencies managed to convince that the message is more powerful through a digital periodical and that it is seen by the whole world.

A banner is perceived in a fast way, like a flash, and however the message is more durable, able to cause more suggestive effects.

Al Momento, by Saul Pimentel, 03.02.08

DR promotes new tourist destinations

Tourism wants to make known Samaná with the slogan inagotable

The collaborator of the Management of the Dominican Tourism Ministry for Spain and Portugal, Milka Hernández, described as strong and daring the bet of the Caribbean country to conquer the Spanish tourist market.

With the launching of a joint campaign of the principal hotels and tour operators (Travel Plan, Soltur, Horizonia, Barceló Travels) which is in its first phase, the promotional development of new Dominican destinations in Spain, like Samaná, will give its kick-off these next days.

At the time of a conversation with the spokeswoman of the Tourim Ministry of Dominican Republic and to the question formulated about future investments of the Latin-American country in Spain, Hernández revealed that this new promotional strategy is represented by 21 organizations of the sector and is that on which the Dominican Ministry of Tourism bet all its efforts.

With the slogan inagotable (inexhaustible), the advertising campaign, – based on the diffusion of posters stuck on the buses of Madrid, as well as on pages of publicity for Samaná in the specialized and not specialized newspapers -, will start soon and will last until the end of the estival time.

There will not be a Spanish diffusion business which will not mention my country.

Considering the annual reception of some 270.000 Spanish tourists in the Area and that 80% of the hotel chains established in Dominican Republic come from Spanish investment, the goal and the wish are to reinforce the links and the connection existing from more than 500 years between the two nations and the best manner of doing it is through tourist promotion , said Milka Hernández.

As for a possible joint realization of tourist projects between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, desire of José Serulle, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic on the Island, Hernández affirmed that to make a multiple destination with Haiti is an initiative, for the moment in study by the OMT, although the Haitian Government just like the Tourism Ministry of Dominican Republic will be those which thereafter will provide information specific on this subject .

The objectives of Dominican tourism underlined with the FITUR were, on a side, to make known the most exotic offer of the Dominican tourist product, the new attraction which is the Samaná Peninsula, in the North-East of the country, wedged in the National park of Los Haitises, and known internationally for the concentration of more than 3.000 humpback whales which meet every year to couple and to give birth in the bay, and on another side, to continue to promote destinations like Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, Boca Chica, La Romana.

RD Noticias, 05.02.08

Brugal sells the majority of its shares to the Edrington Group

The company will continue to produce rum in the country

Brugal, the principal Dominican rum producer, announced yesterday the signature of an agreement with the Edrington Group by which the British firm acquires the majority of the shares of the local company.

The Dominican company, which last year announced sales of 5.0 million rum cases, greeted the negotiation and let know that it will establish in Spain its sales and marketing international office.

Established since 1888 in Puerto Plata (northern), the Brugal company, as announced by the local press release, will continue to produce rum in the country and the Brugal Foundation will maintain its support for education, research and social development of various sectors.

The president of the Dominican firm, George Arzeno Brugal, stressed that the agreement will bring important benefit for the two signatories, although he did not disclose the amount of the negotiation.

We are happy to sign this contract of association with the Edrington Group, whose culture and values make it the ideal partner for Brugal, said the executive in the official statement. Edrington is a producer of brands such as The Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark, in addition to the Malt The Macallan.

Brugal is a brand profiting from a strong growth in a highly dynamic category, and our intention is to benefit from its important potential growth, expressed Ian Curle, executive director of Edrington.

El Nuevo Diario, 06.02.08

Tourists travelling by air brought four billion dollars to DR

New investments

In 2007, the arrival of tourists by air left in the Dominican Republic receipts for roughly four billion dollars, informed this Wednesday the secretary of Tourism, Felix-Felucho-Jiménez. This tourist receipt by air must approach the four billion dollars, although the Central Bank did not reveal the correct figure, he expressed.

New rooms

He declared that during the three last years approximately seven thousand new rooms were incorporated in Dominican Republic tourism, for an investment of 420 million dollars.

Norvegian investors

He also said that a group of investors from Norway will come to settle in the country in the real tourist sector.

Promotion in USA

He declared that to reduce the effects of the Dominican tourism economic crisis, the government carried out a promotional campaign on the famous ABC, NBC and on others TV channels.

Al Momento, by Ramón González, 06.02.08

New Journal of Tourism Research

Magazine on sustainable tourism development

The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (Funglode) unveiled the Ara Journal of Tourism Research yesterday.

The magazine presents research on topics related to sustainable tourism development.

President Leonel Fernandez was present at the event.

The first issue features papers on tourism in Belize and Malta, the concept of co-creation in tourism and the Quality Coast program.

There is one article on tourism in the DR, written by Andres Van der Horst, executive director of the National Competitiveness Council. In his presentation at the event, Van der Horst highlighted the importance of moving the model of tourism in the DR from all-inclusive resort enclaves to community-inclusive tourism.

The journal is presided over by a committee comprising Francesco Frangialli, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization, Dominican Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez, Dominican Culture Minister Jose Rafael Lantigua, Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs of the Earth Insitute at Columbia University, Luis Jose Asilis of Metro Group, Frank Rainieri of Punta Cana Group and Maria Abellanet of Grup CETT of Barcelona.

Professor Jordi Martinell, of the Universitat of Barcelona, Spain chairs the editorial board.

Other members are Prof FrancoisBedard of the Universite du Quebec a Montreal (Worldwide Center for Excellence in Tourist Destinations), Lino Briguglio of the University of Malta (Islands & Small States Institute), Dr. Rachel Dodds of Ryerson University, Toronto, Jafar Jafari, of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Joan Tugores Ques, Universitat de Barcelona, and Prof. Dr. Francois Vellas, Universite de Toulouse (Institut de Recherche pour l’Economie de Service et de Tourisme, France).

DR1, 07.02.08

The Government guarantees the stability of the exchange rate

Competitive situation

The Secretary of Finances, Vicente Bengoa, affirmed this Thursday that there is no danger that can occur abrupt movements in the dollar rate compared to the Dominican peso.

He explained that the Central Bank has a shielding expressed in 1,600 million US $ of reserves in liquid and around 3 billion US $ in rough reserves, which would avoid rises in the exchange rate.

The civil servant said that this guarantees that there is no problem in the exchange rate  and stressed that they maintain a relative stability around 34 per 1, situation recognized as competitive even by the International Monetary Funds.

He declared that the light movement of the exchange rate which oscillates between 33 and 34 is because of great and significant quantity of money which circulated in December following the payments of the regalias and of the bonus in the public and private sector.

On the other hand, the secretary of Finances stressed that an other element which will contribute to the stability of the exchange rate in an immediate way is the operation made by the Brugal Company which add up to millions.

This operation will imply the receipt of a substantial sum in dollars to the Dominican economy, expressed Bengoa.

Al Momento, 08.02.08

DNCD arrests a dealer in Las Terrenas

Capture in the tourist zone

The DNCD arrested a woman who smuggled drug while going to Madridas well as a dealer in Las Terrenas.

This woman who traveled to Madrid with 218 small bags filled with a white powder dissimulated in an abdominal belt was arrested yesterday evening in Las Americas International airport (AILA). She had also the stomach full of capsules, informed the National Office of Drugs Control (DNCD).

In the same way, the institution announced the capture of a supplier of narcotic points in the tourist zone of Samaná-Las Terrenas, to whom they seized 5 pounds of marijuana and a half – kilo of cocaine. The man was captured by agents of the North-eastern Regional Division.

He was caught in the act whereas he sold marijuana to an infiltrated agent of the DNCD, then arrested by the Major of the police force César Mariñez Lora, representative of the North-East institution, arrived on the spot.

In addition to marijuana and cocaine, a gun and a motor cycle were seized.

El Nuevo Diario, 08.02.08

Public health begins the First cares in Health month

Samaná develops a model

The Secretariat of the Public Health launched in Samaná the month of first cares, activity which forms part of the framework of the National Year of Health Promotion.

The activity was directed by the holder of the portfolio, Bautista Rojas Gómez, who said that February will be devoted to First cares in Health, month during which they will stress the education in prevention and health promotion in the communities.

Rojas Gómez urged the directors of the provincial and regional sectors to support a strategic alliance with the local management to be able to turn round in a favorable way the current medical indicators.

The civil servant quoted as example the model of First cares which is developed in Samaná, which has all the necessary care units to assist and to make education in prevention and health promotion in the whole Community.

I assume the compromise to turn round the medical indicators so that the latter correspond to the established and foreseen development parameters, but for that we need that the provincial directors and of sector implement in their respective spaces the First cares units , specified the secretary of the Public health.

He stressed that the decision of President Leonel Fernández to choose 2008 as Year of the Health Promotion seeks to concretize the activities mentioned and to produce a greater impact in protection and improvement of the quality of life of the Dominicans.

Representative of Pan-American Health Office, Doctor Cristina Nogueira; Onofre Rojas, intersector coordinator of the Year of the Health Promotion ; the under-secretary of Collective Health, Nelson Rodriguez Monegro; Héctor Otero, Administrative under-secretary and financier attended the ceremony.

El Listín Diario, 09.02.08

How to plan a vacation package to the Dominican Republic

What is stopping you from taking a Dominican Republic Vacation Package this year ?

According to some Internet websites, it is most likely because you don’t know what a vacation to the Dominican Republic would be like.

A Caribbean vacation to the Dominican Republic is something that many many people do every year.

Some of the top destinations for a Dominican Republic Vacation and ones that perhaps need deeper investigation could be the following :

Cabarete on the north coast is the place to go if you are young, it is a fun place to be with good water sports, is considered by many to be one of the top places in the world for windsurfing and kiteboarding. It is also a great place to surf, mountain biking, horseriding, canyoning, and lots of other adventure sports.

Sosua on the north coast has a beautiful sheltered beach with white sand, and clear turquoise sea. This is the place if you want to go snorkelling and scuba diving, and there are good restaurants.

Playa Dorada is a gated resort community and is where most of the All Inclusive Hotels are found and is on the north coast. You can do almost anything in the way of recreation here, from golf courses to casinos, , and there is a long white sand beach, but get out of the community and there is a lot of things to see and do.

The Playa Grande Cabrera area has spectacular unspoiled white sand beaches and some exclusive villas. Playa Grande beach is one of the best ten beaches in the world, and there is a beautiful golf course here.

Las Terrenas is on the Samana Peninsula in the northeast, with a beautiful white sand beach and calm sea. This has a Mediterranean feel to it, and is a very relaxing place through the mountains. Las Galeras also on the Samana Peninsula is a remote spot with boutique hotels, hidden beaches and is a real romantic getaway.

Punta Cana on the east coast is totally Caribbean postcard, and some good all inclusive hotels. Bayahibe on the south coast has a really tranquil setting, a great beach, and the not to be missed National Park

La Romana also on the south coast includes the 7000 acre Casa de Campo with two golf courses and some very exclusive villas. The word luxury springs to mind here. Juan Dolio on the south coast is the Dominican Republic’s Riviera

Boca Chica also on the south coast is a place with smaller hotels, where you are much closer to local life, and there is good diving here. Finally Santo Domingo which is the sophisticated and cultural Capital of the Dominican Republic.

Dominican Today, 10.02.08

Countdown started

Within 17 days, 41 hotel companies of RD will be represented in the ITB

41 hotel companies have confirmed their participation in the International Tourism Fair (ITB), which will take place from March 4 to 9, in the town of Berlin in Germany, and will form part of the pavilion of the Dominican Republic, which this year is the guest country.

It is the greatest participation of private companies of the tourism sector ever recorded during the last years, companies which confirmed their participation in the Dominican stand, in addition to other firms of the sector which contracted individual spaces to expose their offers on the European market within the framework of the ITB.

These companies are representative of the tourist complexes, tour operators, travel agents and trade banks with real tourist projects, which showed their interest to support the participation of the country, as host of honor, in this edition of ITB-Berlín 2008.

This year, the attention of the 180 countries which will participate to the ITB will concentrate on the stand of the Dominican Republic, which will have an extension of approximately 500 square meters.

Added to this, the accreditation of five thousand journalists of the whole world and the thousands of visitors who will know the projects and the companies of tourist negotiations.

A delegation of the private and public sectors directed by the secretary of Tourism, Felix Jiménez, and composed by hotel companies of the various poles of the country, contractors, artistic producers, artists, craftsmen, chiefs, media managers, journalists specialized in economy and tourism, commentators of television etc… will attend the event.

Felix Jiménez said that the ITB is one of the principal sources of tourist promotion of the world; this is why to be the guest country within this occasion will mean an increase in the tourists flow in the country, both coming from Germany and from other parts of the world.

He indicated that this fair is the ideal platform to show the various tourist offers of the country and that it constitutes an important scene to negotiate with large world companies of the tourism and travel sector.

The Dominican Republic will carry out a great investment in this important event of promotion in order to continue the growth of tourist flows, not only of the German market but of the rest of the world , Jiménez declared.

He added that the Government, through Sectur, invested two million euros to cover the participation of the country as honor guest of the ITB, which includes an advertising promotion on the principal German television channels.

Jiménez explained that this fair is a meeting between those who produce and who offer products and services to the tourist sector and those who is looking for them.

El Nuevo Diario, 12.02.08

A new tourist guide printed in 11 languages

Special edition

The guide La Cotica, specialized in tourist information on the Dominican Republic, will circulate in several languages in the ITB International Tourism Fair, which will take place from March 5 to 9, in Berlin.

The Cabrer Editions, company which produces the guide, decided to prepare a special edition because for the first time over its 42 years of history, the ITB of Berlin indicated the Dominican Republic as guest country of this event.

This distinction takes on great importance by transforming us into center of attention of more than 180 participating countries which will give each other appointment to the Center of Conventions of the Messe of Berlin , he added.

He said that to face this engagement, La Cotica created this edition 2008 with a different portal for each language, in order to show the different ones and inexhaustible facets of the Dominican Republic.

La Cotica of the Cabrer Editions is currently the most complete working tool for the national and foreigner travel agents and tour operators who sell the Dominican tourist product.

Al Momento, 13.02.08

The Banreservas Bank fair ended this Sunday

A total success for BanReservas

The State bank Banreservas’ 4-day mortgage fair concluded last night with RD  $2.6 billion in home loans, said the administrator Daniel Toribio

He said the fair’s success in the sale of homes, apartments and other real property surpassed the expectations.

For us the results of this fair have been a pleasant surprise. Our intention was to finish with around 1.1 billion pesos, with which we would’ve been very happy, but the results exceeded this goal.

Santiago, Puerto Plata, San Francisco, La Vega, Las Terrenas and Moca were the cities where most properties were bought.

Dominican Today, 19.02.08

Fort Myers in Las Terrenas

The Fort Myers-based civil engineering firm will have an office in Las Terrenas

The Southwest Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is holding two international celebrations for Fort Myers and Naples business groups.

A ribbon cutting/grand opening will be held on April 11 at the new office of TDM Consulting Inc. in the Dominican Republic.

The Fort Myers-based civil engineering firm will have an office in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic.

A groundbreaking ceremony for Cristal Beach, a 70-unit upscale condo project, is scheduled for April 12.

Naples-based Paradise Investments is heading this project, located in Cabrera on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, an hour away from the new office of TDM Consulting Inc.

Both events will have a business network reception for local and international guests. Dignitaries and business groups from different countries will be in attendance. Those interested in participating can register with the chamber by March 30.

Dominican Today, 19.02.08

Lunar Eclipse

On Wednesday February 20th, 2008 an exceptional lunar eclipse in Dominican Republic

For the Dominican Republic the lunar eclipse will begin at 8:37 pm, you will partially see it from 9:43 pm.
The total eclipse will be at 11:01 pm, at 11:26 will be partly again and will culminate at 11:51, according to information from the NASA.

A total eclipse of the moon is recorded when the full moon enters the shadow of the Earth and is blocked by the sun’s rays that normally illuminate it.

The moon does not become totally black because sunlight still reaches indirectly, after crossing the earth’s atmosphere.
Unlike solar eclipses requiring protection for the eyes, lunar eclipses can be seen by naked-eye.

Those who have homemade telescopes may also see the beautiful rings of Saturn.
The event on Wednesday will be the last total lunar eclipse until December 20, 2010.

In August this year, there will be a total eclipse of the sun and a partial eclipse of the moon.

Diario Libre, 19.02.08

Implementation of the National System of hotel classification

The Secretariat of Tourism and the ACE sign an agreement

The Secretariat of Tourism has announced that it has signed an agreement with the Spanish consortium ECA to begin implementation of the National System of Classification Hôtelière.

The Secretary of Tourism, Felix Jimenez, said that the implementation of the system involves an investment of approximately 381,535 dollars and rely on partial funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through the National Fund for a Competitiveness annual interest rate of 12%.

During a press conference conducted in the hotel Embajador in Santo Domingo, Jimenez said that, the Secretariat of Tourism, the National Council of Competitiveness and the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores) will participate in this project.

The project includes both infrastructure services and the maintenance of the environment and the defense of consumer rights in the hotel facilities.

This is how will be evaluated and ranked hotels in Santo Domingo, Boca Chica, Juan Dolio, Romana-Bayahibe, Punta Cana-Bavaro, Samana, Puerto Plata, Rio San Juan and Santiago.

Listin Diario, 21.02.08

MVM will cut taxes in the tourism sector

Presidential candidate of the PRD announced measures relating to tourism

Presidential candidate of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) pledged yesterday to materialize a re-launch of tourism, which could exceed the deceleration of investment and real decrease in the number of visitors, two factors that reflect a decrease sector, which he considers among the key priorities of the Government he proposes to develop from August 16.

In the proposed programme of Vargas to increase the competitiveness of the tourism industry, is the reduction of taxes, prices and customs and other measures that will reduce operational costs substantially for the tourism industry.

Vargas, who sees tourism as one of the most dynamic sectors in carrying out his policy of new generating productive employment, aims to cut airport fees so that it is competitive with those of other countries in the region.

Regarding the electric power consumed by hotels that he says he will abide by the law so that the hotels can become consumer non-regulated, in this case they would save 50% of the cost of consumption.

Vargas provides important initiatives in the development of new tourist areas.

Regarding Bahía de las Aguias, he said he will support the creation of 15 to 20 hotels in the area, as well as golf courses, the development of real estate projects, residential, commercial areas, road infrastructure and air.

When infrastructure that will assist in the development of tourism, he announced the completion of the sanitary sewage system and used water of Sosua, Cabarete, Las Terrenas, Bayahíbe, Punta Cana y Bávaro.

Other tourist infrastructure announced by the candidate of the PRD is the road Catey-La Majagua de Las Terrenas by the coast, as well as the completion of the roads San Pedro de Macorís-La Romana, Puerto Plata-Samana; Jarabacoa-Constanza, Higuey-El Seybo-Miches; Sabana de la Mar-y Hato Mayor Miches-Sabana de la Mar.

El Nuevo Diario, 21.02.08

Dominicans and foreigners are doing the UNO exams

International scene for the country

Thirty-nine Dominicans who appeared among the professionals of the sector of the Caribbean chosen by the United Nations (UNO) were doing the Competitive Examination to apply for positions in the System of the United Nations.

The evaluation took place in the Diplomatic School of the Secretariat of State of the Foreign Relations, in the Dominican Capital.

The candidates were evaluated, in accordance with the sector of their speciality, in the categories of finances, evaluation and information, political science, human right, science and technology, environment, statistics technology of programs.

Among the conditions which UNO requires to choose these posts, it is necessary to present an academic qualification of a career belonging to the sector or the evaluated category.

The candidates must moreover be fluent in English or French, which are the working languages of the Secretariat-general, as well as having additional knowledge of some of the official languages of the United Nations, like Chinese, Arabic, Russian and Spanish.

The candidates were selected according to various criteria: initially geographical balance, so that the organization counts on professionals coming from the greatest possible quantity of countries, thus generating the confidence of all the Member States, and ensuring a cultural, social and ethnic diversity and wide policy of the personnel.

Another selection criterion is the use of a system of quota assigned to each country according to the economic contribution with which the various nations contribute to the general budget of UNO and its support.

They also took into account the policy of gender i.e., the maintenance of balance in men and women incorporation.

The secretary of the Foreign Relations, Carlos Morales Troncoso, qualified the occasion of success and of additional demonstration of the significant part which the country plays on this international scene.

He recalled that the competitive examinations of the United Nations take periodically place in various areas of the world with an aim of recruiting young people of superior formation to occupy various working posts in the organization.

For this occasion the Dominican Republic was used like evaluation center for the professionals of other countries of the area.

Al Momento, 29.02.08

A 5.5% jump in January heralds another good year for Dominican tourism

353,236 tourists arrived via the country’s airports

It’s the start of another good year for the tourism industry, as arrivals of nonresident foreign visitors rose 5.5 percent in January, compared with the same month in 2007, said a report presented by Tourism minister Felix Jimenez.

The report said 353,236 tourists arrived via the country’s airports, or 18,692 more visitors than in January last year. Arrivals from Canada rose 10.3 percent and 7.5 percent from the United States, whereas from South America posted a jump of 40.2 percent.

Arrivals from the U.S. had fallen 0.7 percent throughout 2007, the official said.

I want to stress that in Argentina (tourist arrivals ) grew 31.9 percent; Brazil continues its fast growth with 19.2 percent, Chile increased 63.7 percent; Colombia 21.6 percent, Venezuela 37 percent, Ecuador 51 percent and Peru grew 160 percent, Jimenez said, adding that they are precisely the nations which are currently most interested in this country.

Dominican Today, 25.02.08

Champagne AYALA will be marketed in DR

Great vintages and prestige

The Company Álvarez & Sánchez C por A, since 30 years in the country and devoted to represent and import a vast range of excellent products of restoration for hotel businesses and of drinks, will soon market its prestigious Champagne AYALA in Dominican Republic.

The company AYALA proposes to discover a very complete champagne range, among which the Vintage ones (the result is a wine sumptuous, generous and complete which combines perfectly with any kind of menus) and the jewel of house the AYALA Perle d’Ayala (a prestigious art work for the most demanding amateurs).

The house also proposes the AYALA Brut Majeur (result of the blending of several wines ensuring plenitude and power to this champagne)

A great story

In 1750, Don Antonio de Ayala y Vergara, noble of Spain, was sent by King Fernando VI as Finances Minister to the New Grenade (futureColombia).

His son signed peace with Bolivar. His grandson resided in France as Consul of Colombia.

His successor, Edmundo de Ayala (1831-1902) was invited in Champagne by the Viscount of Mareuil to learn wine manufacture and fell in love with his niece, Gabriela d’ Albretch with whom he get married in 1860 while bringing as dowry the Castle of Ayala and the superb vineyards of Ayala and Mareuil on Ayala.

This love story is also the beginning of a great brand name: The AYALA House, this one developing in England.

In 1882, Ayala is one of the 18 founder members of the trade union of the Great Names.

Before the II World war, it is the supplier of the courts of Spain and of Great Britainand since the year 2005, AYALA belongs to the company Jacques Bollinger, property of the Bollinger Family.

Diario Horizonte, 28.02.08

Fidel Castro resigns

Raúl Castro takes power

HAVANA. – Cuban president Fidel Castro has announced his resignation as the Caribbean country’s Head of State and commander-in-chief of the military on Tuesday, said a letter published in Granma, the state-run newspaper.

The resignation of Castro, who rose to power in Cuba in 1959, ends nearly a half-century of iron-fisted rule that inspired revolutionaries but frustrated 10 U.S. presidents.

The Cuban leader revealed his plans without advance notice by publishing a letter in the middle of the night in state-run newspaper Granma.

Early last year Castro’s brother Raúl took over the day-to-day running of the Government, after the aging leader was submitted to an operation in his intestinal tract.

Dominican Today, 24.02.08

The sustainable development becomes dynamic

Wind power properties in Dominican Republic

The Secretary of the Environment and the Natural resources of Dominican Republic, Omar Ramirez Tejada called upon the international Community so that it brings a greater quantity of economic resources to face the adaptation and the impacts of the climatic change.

Ramirez Tejada drew the attention to the importance to carry out the projects of the Clean Mechanism of Development (MDL) and underlined the interest of international investors for the installation of wind power properties in Dominican Republic.

The concern for the conservation of the environment and obtaining financial resources to mitigate the negative impact produced by the man on the ecosystem generated the development of a new market which seeks to reduce the harmful impact of the Greenhouse Effect and to support the Sutainable Development , Ramirez Tejada underlined.

What is called the carbon market is a whole of various transactions where are exchanged, as any financial credit, reductions of gas emissions with Greenhouse Effet.

By stressing the importance of this market, the civil servant expressed that the price of the Certified Reductions of Emissions (RCE) raised from 5.15 dollars in 2005 to 11.56 dollars for the first quarter of 2006.

Currently the country has a wind project approved by the Executive Parliament of the MDL of the Convention of the Climatic Change, which will supplant an estimate of 110 thousand tons of carbon dioxide per year, while in a file on standby there is a project which would add up 173 Megawatts.

With the elimination of this quantity of carbon dioxide, the Dominican Republic is located at the sixth place on a world level and at the third in Latin America, behind Brazil and Mexico, for the projects of wind power of the MDL.

According to studies’ of the Program of the United Nations for Development (UNDP) to stop the advance towards a segregation in the adaptation to the climatic changes, 86 billion dollars are necessary.

The civil servant spoke last weekend in Monaco in front of more than 100 Ministers for the whole world who attended the World Environmental Ministerial Forum (GMEF), the greatest world meeting of the Ministers for the environment, which this year covered the subject Mobilization of Funds for the Climatic Change .

Principal personalities of industry and economy; science; the local government; the civil society, the intergovernmental trade unions and organizations also took part in this forum.

El Nuevo Diario, 26.02.08

Vistas del Cayo At Limón Beach

New tourist project

The new tourist project Vistas del Cayo At Limón Beach , which will operate in the Bay del Limón in the province of Samaná, was presented by its executors during a cocktail offered to friends and relations AT the art gallery Distric & CO.

They informed that Vistas del Cayo At Limón Beach will have 12 apartments of 158 square meters on the first floor, two of 138 square meters on the second, 12 pent-house units on the third floor with more than 200 square meters and four villas of one floor.

All the apartments of the complex will have glass outdoors, kitchen with dining room integrated, private balcony in the principal room with view on the future golf courses, a bathroom for the visits and a vast sector of services which includes a laundry, explained Juan Jose Ferrúa and Cynthia Vega, directors of Pacific Reef Real Estate, S.A.

They specified that every room will have a bathroom and a vast cupboard, as well as other conveniences and all the units will be prepared for the installation of the air conditioning, power converters and alarm.

The managers indicated that the project will be composed of six completely independent buildings built on more than 30 thousand square meters in natural landscapes, which will be directed strategically to guarantee the sea view to all the units as well as the view on Cayo Limón.

Listin Diario, by José Bautista, 27.02.08

The development of the Samaná peninsula

Investment multiply growth prospects of tourism in DR

Starting from 2012 the revenue collected by the Dominican Republic because of its strong tourism industry could exceed the annual $ 5 thousand million, while the number of visitors by air then will be about five million.

According to the explanations from the Secretary of Tourism, Felix Jimenez, these forecasts are based mainly in the improvement of various destinations nationwide, which has been made possible by the investment of more than 2900 million pesos by the government through the Infrastructure Executive Committee in the Tourist Zones (CEIZTUR)

He informed that large real estate projects in the area will soon begin such as tourism-Westin Hotel Macao, in Punta Cana, on the part of the company Roco Ki; Seasons Hotel Tour, Ritz Carlton project of Cap Cana, among others.

During his participation in the Table of Negotiations of Dominican Republic, Jimenez said that spending in this sector are considerable.
He noted that real estate investments are accompanied by the development of important assets, such as golf courses and marinas.

Thanks to the construction of new roads and airports, new areas began to grow, as the Samaná Peninsula, thanks to the opening of the airport el Catey, and the road closer to only an hour and a half Santo Domingo from the coming months he said

Among the areas which are under a very rapid development, he cited the southern coast of Bahia de Samaná, since Macao in Sabana de la Mar and the connection with Samaná by ferry, from the new port that will be built at Sabana de la Mar.
He said that the same thing can be predicted for the northern coast of the peninsula of Samaná, with the construction of the road that will link the airport to Las Terrenas.

In addition, he talked about the environmental aspect, which it considers a requirement for the development of tourism, and the impact of posseding this new modality of development in the distribution of tourism revenue.

In 2007, investment in new hotels and expansions have exceeded 400 million dollars and more than a thousand million has been invested in tourism projects estate. From 1980 to 2005, the tourism sector had an annual growth rate of 10%, measured in terms of the arrival of non-resident, from income generated and from the number of rooms he argued.

Diario Digital, 22.02.08