Dominican Republic Reassures Tourists
By MICHELLE HIGGINS
Francesco Broli for The New York Times Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the earthquake-shattered Haiti, wants tourists to know that it is still open for business.
“All of the tourist areas, hotels, resorts, airports and seaports are open and receiving visitors,” the Ministry of Tourism said in a press release yesterday. “The DR experienced no damage from the quake or its aftershocks. Major tourism regions Punta Cana and La Romana on the East Coast, as well as Samaná and Puerto Plata along the North Coast are welcoming winter season tourists from all over the world.”
At the same time, millions of Dominicans have donated time, money, supplies and expertise to help Haiti. Three key airports and a roadway in the Dominican Republic’s southern region are being used to receive international relief supplies through mostly rural areas not frequented by visitors.
The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic’s major tourism destination, is approximately 400 miles east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, a 10- to 12-hour drive, with numerous mountain ranges separating the two countries.
Below, an update from the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism:
- All of the Dominican Republic’s eight international airports are open and receiving commercial flights.
- All its cruise terminals, seaports and marinas are open, operating effectively and receiving visitors.
- All its beaches, hotels, resorts and tourism businesses are conducting normal business operations.
- The Dominican Republic is providing some space at strategically located key airports, but that this is not disrupting commercial flights.
- The Dominican Republic did not experience any damage from the secondary aftershock that occurred Thursday morning.
- The country’s security, health, communication and transportation systems are all operating normally and effectively.
Update | 11:54 a.m. This post incorrectly stated the location of the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola. It has been corrected.
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