NewsWhore
03-23-2009, 04:30 PM
The Federation for Sustainable Cabarete says that the Dominican Republic's leading wind sports destination is at risk of losing its main attraction if developers continue to promote constructions that block wind flows and violate regulations.
Five out of six hotels have already closed down in recent years, and now the challenge is to keep the wind sports that attract the tourists going. Real estate promoters want to increase the density of the area, with construction of condos above the legal three-floor limit to achieve short-term yield, despite the threat that they pose to wind and sea sports and the fact that they do not take the community into consideration, according to campaigners for the seaside community's long-term development.
All kite surfing, windsurfing and sailing schools in Cabarete have data proving that the high-rise construction that has been taking place since 2001 has resulted in the winds losing strength, and that the wind rebounding against high constructions causes turbulence that endangers sportspeople's safety.
The Federation says that the government should not favor the promoters that are just motivated by high yields without taking into consideration the true problems of the area and its inhabitants.
The Federation says that increased density with condominiums will affect the growth of sport and nature tourism in the area, which has been the segment of the market that has been behind Cabarete's growth as a tourist destination.
In a press release, the organization says that the whole economy will be changed and there is a high risk of the area becoming overdeveloped, in the style of the Spanish Costa del Sol.
FCS says that laser sailors, kite-surfers and windsurfers travel in search of wind, and that God gave wind to Cabarete. "If the strength of the wind is left to itself, no investment will be needed, not now or in the future, to bring tourists to Cabarete.
The associations are campaigning for Law 256 that limits constructions to three floors to be maintained.
For background on how overdevelopment can affect a destination, see: www.tve.org/earthreport/archive/doc.cfm?aid=1705 (http://www.tve.org/earthreport/archive/doc.cfm?aid=1705)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#12)
Five out of six hotels have already closed down in recent years, and now the challenge is to keep the wind sports that attract the tourists going. Real estate promoters want to increase the density of the area, with construction of condos above the legal three-floor limit to achieve short-term yield, despite the threat that they pose to wind and sea sports and the fact that they do not take the community into consideration, according to campaigners for the seaside community's long-term development.
All kite surfing, windsurfing and sailing schools in Cabarete have data proving that the high-rise construction that has been taking place since 2001 has resulted in the winds losing strength, and that the wind rebounding against high constructions causes turbulence that endangers sportspeople's safety.
The Federation says that the government should not favor the promoters that are just motivated by high yields without taking into consideration the true problems of the area and its inhabitants.
The Federation says that increased density with condominiums will affect the growth of sport and nature tourism in the area, which has been the segment of the market that has been behind Cabarete's growth as a tourist destination.
In a press release, the organization says that the whole economy will be changed and there is a high risk of the area becoming overdeveloped, in the style of the Spanish Costa del Sol.
FCS says that laser sailors, kite-surfers and windsurfers travel in search of wind, and that God gave wind to Cabarete. "If the strength of the wind is left to itself, no investment will be needed, not now or in the future, to bring tourists to Cabarete.
The associations are campaigning for Law 256 that limits constructions to three floors to be maintained.
For background on how overdevelopment can affect a destination, see: www.tve.org/earthreport/archive/doc.cfm?aid=1705 (http://www.tve.org/earthreport/archive/doc.cfm?aid=1705)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#12)