NewsWhore
08-08-2008, 04:20 PM
Recently, sectors in the eastern region have criticized Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez for ignoring maintenance and infrastructure urgently needed on the east coast.
East coast tourism spokespersons criticize the fact that most of the money the Ministry's CEIZTUR fund is using comes from arrivals through the Punta Cana airport, but very little is invested in the area. Writing in today's El Caribe, Manuel Quiterio Cedeno states that from 2004 to June 2008, the CEIZTUR handled RD$2.88 billion in 64 projects in tourism destinations, of which the east only received RD$174.2 million for the repaving of the Cruz del Isleno-Macao road, where development is only now starting. Cedeno points out that the east is home to 31,500 of the country's 63,000 hotel rooms in its Uvero Alto, Arena Gorda, El Cortecito, Cabeza de Toro, Punta Cana and Cap Cana areas.
Punta Cana International Airport is the DR's leading airport for international arrivals.
Cedeno writes that the tourism authorities have said that from 2008-2012 RD$8 billion will be invested in infrastructure, but only a side road from Higuey-Otra Banda and the reconstruction of the Otra Banda-Veron alternative road have been planned. Last week, the community of Higuey and several ground transporters held a six-hour strike to protest against the unfair distribution of infrastructure funds.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
East coast tourism spokespersons criticize the fact that most of the money the Ministry's CEIZTUR fund is using comes from arrivals through the Punta Cana airport, but very little is invested in the area. Writing in today's El Caribe, Manuel Quiterio Cedeno states that from 2004 to June 2008, the CEIZTUR handled RD$2.88 billion in 64 projects in tourism destinations, of which the east only received RD$174.2 million for the repaving of the Cruz del Isleno-Macao road, where development is only now starting. Cedeno points out that the east is home to 31,500 of the country's 63,000 hotel rooms in its Uvero Alto, Arena Gorda, El Cortecito, Cabeza de Toro, Punta Cana and Cap Cana areas.
Punta Cana International Airport is the DR's leading airport for international arrivals.
Cedeno writes that the tourism authorities have said that from 2008-2012 RD$8 billion will be invested in infrastructure, but only a side road from Higuey-Otra Banda and the reconstruction of the Otra Banda-Veron alternative road have been planned. Last week, the community of Higuey and several ground transporters held a six-hour strike to protest against the unfair distribution of infrastructure funds.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)