Dominican tourism recovery gets UN kudos

Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader, will attend this Monday the act of recognition of the Dominican Republic as the number 1 country in the world in the recovery of tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic began,  Sunday  afternoon, the Presidency. said

The recognition will be delivered by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in the Colón Park in the Colonial City, of the National District, at 10:00 in the morning on Monday, May 9.

The president received the invitation from the UNWTO and its Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili.

He said that the recognition has great meaning for Dominican tourism as the country that recovered tourism from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the entire world since the end of 2019.

New Boston-Puerto Plata air route inaugurated

The USA.- The Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Boston, Massachusetts, represented by the consul general in this city, Ramón Antonio Cruz, and the vice-consul Charge d’Affaires, Luis Gustavo Estrella, inaugurated the new Boston-Puerto Plata air route from the American airline JetBlue.

Both officials of the Dominican consular mission attended the General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport in this city of Boston to formally open the JetBlue B6 785 flight bound for the Gregorio Luperón International Airport in Puerto Plata.

“On behalf of the government of the Dominican Republic, we thank the JetBlue airline for opening this flight to Puerto Plata, the bride of the Atlantic, because it will have a significant impact on the region at a tourist level” said the consul general, Ramón Cruz.

He also highlighted the importance of this air route for Dominicans residing in the New England region of the United States “since it allows them to enjoy yet another destination of our beautiful Quisqueya.”

On his side, the business vice-consul of the consular mission, Luis Gustavo Estrella, explained that it is a new route that has been achieved “through inter-institutional efforts, between the Civil Aviation Board and its director, José Marte Piantini; the Secretary-General, Paola Pla, and thanks to the excellent business and investment climate emitted by the management of our president Luis Abinader, and the efforts of this Consulate.”

Estrella explained that after 17 test flights, “today JetBlue officially decides to stay with this important route, which will be transporting an average of 1,300 passengers per month to this important destination, bringing Dominican families and tourists closer together, in order to boost more the local economy.”

He said that this momentous event was celebrated with great joy to the rhythm of merengue among passengers, JetBlue executives, and Consulate staff, all waving the Dominican flag.

Also present at the flight’s inauguration were Sandra Palmer, JetBlue’s General Manager of Airports Operations; Natalie Martínez, Manager of Government Affairs of the airline; Raúl Cepeda, an official of the Dominican Consulate in Bosch, among others.

Frontier will open new flights to SD and Punta Cana from Tampa

From the end of June and the beginning of July

Frontier Airlines will launch four new flights to the Caribbean from Tampa (TPA) in Florida in late June and early July, opting for Santo Domingo and the popular tourist area of ​​Punta Cana, among other Caribbean destinations.

These new links of the Denver-based airline (DEN) will start with a flight between TPA and San Juan, Puerto Rico, on June 23. The route will be operated daily and will be the company’s 14th route.

Beginning June 24, Frontier will launch a 2x weekly service between TPA and Jamaica Montego Bay. In addition, as of June 30, the airline will start two weekly flights between TPA and Santo Domingo (SDQ), while as of July 2, it will add a weekly flight between TPA and Punta Cana (PUJ).

“We will now offer more nonstop flights from Tampa to destinations in Latin America than any other airline,” said Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial for Frontier.

Frontier is an operator of Airbus A320 family aircraft.

Recovery is the talk as IMF, Dominican leader meet

Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader met with the governor of the Central Bank (BC), Héctor Valdez Albizu, the executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), by the Chair of Brazil, Afonso Bevilaqua, and Esteban Vesperoni, head of mission of the IMF, as part of the visit by Fund technicians to the country.

These consultations are established in Article IV of the Articles of Agreement of the IMF. The body holds bilateral talks with its members, usually every year. A team of officials visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with the officials the country’s economic and political developments.

The BC reported in a statement that the IMF representatives highlighted the rapid recovery of the Dominican economy, given the fiscal and monetary measures implemented to combat the pandemic, as well as the effectiveness of health measures to combat the covid-19 virus in the Dominican population.

Gov. earmarks US$17M for bridges, beltways

Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Public Works currently has more than 644 works underway that will transform the country in the coming years, at a cost of RD$17 billion (US$309 million). Among the projects are roads, bridges, sidewalks, curbs and other infrastructure that will help improve the quality of life of citizens.

Some 429 are road works that cover more than 725 kilometers and will connect various regions and provinces of the national territory, according to the data presented by the head of the institution, Deligne Alberto Ascención told Listín.

According to the data presented by Ascención, around 83% of these projects are already underway and several will be delivered during this year.

Among the works that will be completed soon, the minister mentioned the Azua bypass, which will be ready in August; also that of Baní, Peravia, which he said is about 60% advanced; as well as 10 four-lane bridges to be built in this province, which is expected to be completed between now and March of next year.

Ascención assured that all the bypasses that are under construction and most of the road projects will be delivered during the course of this year and the beginning of next year.

“Therefore, it is expected that all of them will be completed in 2024 because most of them can be built in the course of 24 months.”

These and other projects are part of the connectivity strategy designed for the South region, which seeks to achieve a road interconnection from Pedernales to Santo Domingo, in order to reduce the distance between these two points by approximately one hour, explained Ascención.

JetBlue to premiere the renovated runway at Puerto Plata airport

After the temporary closure of runway 08-26 at the Gregorio Luperón International Airport in Puerto Plata for remodeling and repair, the general director of Clúster Norte airports, Carlos Rodoli, reported that the terminal would resume operations with a JetBlue flight at 10:30 in the morning on May 20.

“We close on May 9 and on the 20th the first flight that the terminal will receive, according to the schedule, would be from JetBlue, waiting for operations to resume without any situation, since we have planned, even if the work ends before, three days. within 10 working days to resolve any issues,” he said.

He explained to arecoa.com that the dimension of the work is a remodeling of 12 slabs of the runway; it will be 530 linear meters by 45 meters wide that would be ready in the first stage of the complete remodeling, which will have an investment of RD $160 million.

«The first consists of the 530 meters that are the most critical because historically the resistance of the pavement has been degrading and they were identified by internal studies carried out and thinking about the future and long term because we want to bring British tourists and from Europe and we do not want that they have no technical difficulty to be able to operate in Puerto Plata”, added the also president of Ashonorte.

Rodoli explained that the second stage consists of working on the turning rackets and remodeling other track sections that would be ready in 2023. “It would be a less invasive intervention for operations.”

Air Century maintains three weekly flights between Havana and SD in May

The Cuban Airport and Airport Services Company ( ECASA ) updated on its official channels the flight schedule of various airlines that connect Cuba from the Dominican Republic .

As confirmed by ECASA, so far the Air Century airline will continue to operate with the following frequencies during the month of May from the José Martí International Airport (Havana), Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from Santo Domingo .

On the other hand, ECASA reported that in the case of flights from Cuba to Colombia , so far the Wingo company will continue to operate with the following frequencies in May.

It is recalled that Air Century is a low-cost airline that minimizes the price of its air tickets with baggage restrictions. The basic ticket includes a carry-on bag plus a personal item such as a handbag or a backpack. To add more bags in baggage in the hold of the plane, the customer must contract the service separately.

Punta Cana Power trumpets its achievements

Punta Cana.- The Punta Cana-Macao Energy Consortium (CEPM) received at its facilities the visit of Sergio Massa, president of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina; and Martín Torrijos, former president of Panama, to learn about the cutting-edge energy solutions and technology that have guaranteed access to state-of-the-art, reliable and sustainable energy in Dominican Republic’s East.

Accompanied by its president, Rolando González-Bunster; and its general manager, Oscar San Martín, the delegation visited the CEPM plant located in Bávaro, Punta Cana, with the aim of seeing its practices and successful energy model as a system with a view to being implemented in their respective countries.

One of the central stops of the visit was the CEPM Intelligent Monitoring Center, a point from which the entire structure of the service provided is inspected, in order to guarantee the quality and efficiency of its operations in real time, 24 hours a day.

This technology is unique in the country, and created by Dominican talent, it has already become a model of success in various countries in the region.

CEPM was a pioneer in the implementation of Smart Grid and currently maintains 100% of its clients in smart metering, which makes it the first company in the country to have all of its telemetered services.

The prepaid system, which serves more than 70 percent of CEPM’s clients, is part of this technology in which this company is also a pioneer.

President announces measures against possible food shortages worldwide

They will be giving away seeds, vegetables, laying hens, and animals to the population.

President Luis Abinader informed this Friday in Bonao, Monseñor Nouel province, that the priority of his administration is to promote family agriculture in view of the possibility of a worldwide food shortage caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

To this end, the head of State announced the creation of a program, with all government agencies, to promote the creation of family gardens and crops in the lands of the State Sugar Council (CEA).

He said that they would be giving away seeds and vegetables and laying hens and animals to the population.

“We are going to get ready to plant our yards,” said the President.

He indicated that the government continues to monitor the international crisis, which directly impacts the country.

Luis Abinader made the announcement while leading the ceremony that started the 2022 rice harvest. The activity was held at the Bio-Arroz Rice Experimental Station, located in the Juma Bejucal municipal district in the province of Monseñor Nouel.

After 20 years Dominican beef again heads to the US

Santo Domingo.- After approximately 20 years, the Dominican Republic has been authorized again to export raw, intact beef products derived from slaughtered cattle to the United States.

The provision is in effect from April 29, according to the notification sent to the General Directorate of Medicines, Food and Health Products (Digemaps) of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) by the US Department of Agriculture on the 2nd last month.

The US government made this decision after an audit carried out in the country from September 13 to 23, 2021, the document specifies.

To start exports, the Dominican Republic must meet a series of requirements of the US market related to imports, labeling, individual sanitary measures and the self-report tool (SRT).

Next steps

The next steps that the country must follow to export are to certify the meat establishments that meet the requirements of the United States and send a list of them to the International Coordination Office, which will later be reviewed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service. (FSIS).

“The Dominican Republic may only export products from certified establishments on this list.”

They ask for “urgency” to build the Ámbar highway before the tourist boom in Puerto Plata

The work would connect the province of Santiago with Puerto Plata in 35 minutes.

The deputy for the Modern Revolutionary Party ( PRM ), Emil Durán, requested that the process for the construction of the Ámbar highway in Puerto Plata be declared “urgent.”

According to a press release, the legislator stated that another alternative access road is necessary because the current highway from Puerto Plata to Navarrete is not registered rated for the current vehicular flow.

The work would cover 37.7 kilometers in length, which would connect the province of Santiago with Puerto Plata in 35 minutes.

“Tourism has returned to flow in Puerto Plata, with the arrival of cruise ships and new flights, but not only foreign tourism, but also locals, only during Holy Week we receive 900 thousand Creole visitors, for which the people of Puerto Plata request the construction of another alternative route as a matter of urgency,” explained Durán.

Likewise, he criticized the slowness of the process carried out by the Public-Private Alliance Council to construct said work in the “Bride of the Atlantic.”

Durán indicated that the development of towns is achieved with land communication routes that connect communities in less time and with greater security.

“This is the priority of Puerto Plata, it is the desire and dream of the people of Puerto Plata to have a new and safe highway,” he said.

Public Works works to restore El Cangrejo bridge in Puerto Plata

The Ministry of Public Works reported this Friday that its brigades are working hard to ensure that by next week the passage of light vehicles over the Cangrejo bridge in Puerto Plata will be provisionally restored after one of its bridge support beams was broken.

The Deputy Minister of Supervision and Control, Roberto Herrer, explained that this bridge has already fulfilled its useful life because it is more than 50 years old.

Herrera also reported that by order of Minister Deligne Ascención, studies and designs are being worked on to construct a new structure. Still, while this is happening, the MOPC is working on finding a temporary solution to facilitate vehicular traffic there.

“The Cangrejo bridge is “fundamental” since it connects the entire route between Puerto Plata, Montellano, Gregorio Luperón airport, Sosúa, among other towns on the north coast, which is why we are enabling an alternate route through the Los Pérez sector that connects Montellano and Sosúa and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, work is being done on expanding a speed bump on the road that has been arranged to divert vehicles to facilitate more fluid and faster traffic so that users are not affected.

He said that the MOPC aspires to be able to go through this alternate route next Tuesday, not as smoothly as desired, but it is the most expeditious solution at the moment.

It is recalled that the El Cangrejos bridge suspended traffic due to a displacement of a support beam that allowed a column to break, which represents a danger for those who travel along that road.

Since the weakening of the structure, teams from the Ministry of Public Works have been working to prepare the road while a solution to the bridge’s situation is sought.

Canada further eases its travel restrictions

Canada‘s federal government is further easing travel restrictions beginning April 25. Among the highlights of the changes, children aged five to 11 who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated will no longer need a Covid-19 test to enter Canada.

The federal government said on Friday that children in that age group accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian would no longer have to complete a pre-entry Covid-19 test.

Pre-entry testing will continue to be required for partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travelers aged 12 years and older who are currently eligible to travel to Canada.

The easing of the rules comes two months after Ottawa removed pre-arrival Covid-19 PCR testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers.

More changes announced:

— Fully vaccinated travelers will no longer be required to provide a quarantine plan upon entry.

— Fully vaccinated travelers entering Canada on or after April 25 will no longer have to wear masks in public spaces, monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms, self-quarantine if another traveler in the same travel party shows signs or symptoms test positive, and keep a list of close contacts and places visited.

Some things have not changed. All travelers must still use the ArriveCAN app to upload travel and vaccination information within 72 hours of arrival in Canada and/or before boarding a plane or cruise ship bound for Canada.

In addition, all travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, must continue to wear a mask on planes and at airports.

Currently, more than 85% of Canadians over the age of 5 are fully vaccinated.

Entities evaluate with JetBlue formulas to reduce costs of flights between the US and the Dominican Republic

The reduction of the airfare, the inclusion of a first bag free of charge, and the elimination of the tourist card charge for Dominicans entering the country were among the central issues discussed at a meeting between the interim general director of the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) and senior executives of the U.S. airline JetBlue.

Héctor Porcella, acting general director of the IDAC, gave details of his meeting at the institution’s central office with the airline’s president and COO, Johanna Geraghty, who Michael Quiello, chief of staff, accompanied; Adam Schless, director of Aircraft Acts and Alexis Morel, Regional Manager for Airports in Latin America.

The IDAC director was accompanied by Antonio Yapor, alternate ambassador to ICAO and member of the Civil Aviation Board, who explained his organization’s position during the consultation.

Porcella explained that one of the points analyzed at the meeting was to set a fare for the benefit of the Dominican Diaspora that does not exceed US$500, including taxes.

The representatives of the IDAC and the Civil Aviation Board also proposed that in the case of Dominicans residing in the United States, they be exempted from the payment of the first suitcase, as the Creoles who travel through JetBlue have been demanding, said Porcella.

“We also put forward two reasonable proposals to be considered by JetBlue as the current president of IATA (International Air Transport Association): the first would imply modifying its computer systems to eliminate the charge to Dominicans of the tourist card at the ticket office; and the second, to eliminate antigen tests for travelers entering the United States from the Dominican Republic,” said Porcella.

He said that the points submitted by the IDAC and the JAC found receptivity and good disposition among the top executives of the North American airline, promising to analyze each of the points and respond within a reasonable time.

Porcella revealed that the JetBlue delegation had previously met with President Luis Abinader. The latter expressed to the airline executives his interest in seeking solutions for the Dominican communities abroad, which have long been demanding more favorable conditions to maintain regular and permanent contact with the country.

The president and executives of JetBlue present in the Dominican Republic were accompanied by legal advisors Luis Pellerano and Urania Paulino.

Official announces start of NW port megaproject

Santo Domingo.-In this month of April, geophysical studies of the seabed of the Atlantic Ocean began to be carried out, where a solid sheet pile pier with capacity to receive ships of up to 40,000 tons will be built in the bay of Manzanillo (Northwest).

Since President Luis Abinader announced the megaproject, in September 2020, some steps have been advanced and others still remain, so that the work could become a reality shortly before the end of this administration.

The program, which is guided by engineer Cristian Borrero Rodríguez, director of the Public Works Project Execution Unit, contemplates that construction begin in February 2023, if all goes well. Its execution will take 18 months, ending in June 2024.

Borrero explains that there were delays in carrying out the geotechnical studies because the barges “had many problems at the time of conducting the surveys” so they decided to switch to the geophysical studies, which allowed them to “lower time again depending on the schedule for compliance purposes

Puerto Plata Airport will close its operations for 10 days to renovate the runway

From following Monday, May 9, to Friday, May 20

Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XII ( Aerodom ) reported that air traffic would be suspended for ten days at the Gregorio Luperón International Airport in Puerto Plata because runways 08-26 will undergo a remodeling process.

“The works are scheduled to be carried out from next Monday, May 9, to Friday, May 20, during which period only helicopters will be able to carry out their operations,” the entity said.

After analyzing traffic flows, the company explained that the dates chosen to carry out the remodeling process were selected. These are the two weeks of the year in which the lowest flow of passengers has historically been received.

“Aerodom has been working together with the airlines and tour operators that operate in the terminal, with the interest of guaranteeing a minimum of inconvenience to passengers during said period,” the company said.

He explained that the work to be carried out seeks to extend the useful life of the runway, improve the operating conditions of the aircraft, and correct the leveling of the central section of the runway, according to Diario Libre.

Aerodom said that the remodeling of the runway would be a large-scale construction project, which implies an investment of more than 260 million pesos.

From the company, they indicate that the works will allow continued expansion of the connectivity between Puerto Plata and Europe.

New Vistas Golf project will diversify tourism offerings in Santo Domingo

With President Luis Abinader, the exclusive Vistas Golf & Country Club project of the Malespín Group was inaugurated, a course that aims to be the center of sports life in Santo Domingo for local people and foreign visitors seeking places of recreation of the complementary tourist offer of the city.

Marcos Malespín said, “today we inaugurate this dream as a symbol of our confidence in the country, in the climate that our government has fostered for investment and the development of initiatives in favor of the best interests of our society, to generate well-being, work, and security for all Dominicans.”

Likewise, he highlighted that with the complimentary offer of tourism, they feel very proud as a company to generate, during the work, more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs and for having prioritized the provision of national products over imported ones.

“It fills us with satisfaction that we filled a gap that there was with tourists from the capital, who had to travel many kilometers to the east of the country to play a high-quality golf course, and now thanks to this project, that is just a few minutes from the city center, they have the opportunity to enjoy a golf course with PGA standards. Moreover, now all the hotels in the capital can expand the range of services offered, including our golf course,” he added.

Vistas Golf will also provide great contributions to the Dominican economy through the creation of jobs and the generation of foreign currency since it is part of the complementary tourist offer of Santo Domingo, and thanks to it, it is expected that both business visitors and golfing travelers are delighted with this wonderful course.

Vistas Golf also seeks to increase the number of lodging days in Santo Domingo; it is focused on developing a community and a lifestyle for nature lovers, the practice of more than four disciplines, such as golf, tennis, soccer, and swimming, and for the enjoyment of good gastronomy and promote health and well-being.

To this end, a harmonious space has been created with first-class facilities, which also include an exclusive 18-hole golf course designed for golf lovers, as well as recreation areas such as a water park, playgrounds for children, an Eco Park, and a beautiful garden perfect for activities such as picnics and yoga; making it an attractive tourist space for both locals and international visitors.

The course has been designed by famed Australian champion Greg Norman and has exclusive features and USGA-certified materials, making it suitable for hosting PGA tournaments. It is grass-covered Bermuda Latitude 36 (fairways); Bermuda Tiff Eagle (greens). In addition, the Learning Center has a unique Putting Lab in the country, a Driving Range, and a Short Game Practice Area.

Likewise, the sports spaces have been designed with all the technical specifications that, added to the professional support of the team of instructors, allow promotion of sports training and recreational development.

The luxurious project, created by the real estate project management company Interra, which is part of the project development division of the Alyon business platform, is the brainchild of architect Marcos Malespín-Estévez, inspired by the architecture of Luís Barragán; each space creatively interacts with natural elements such as light, breezes and beautiful mountain views.

Collado against the “exaggerated” costs of the plane ticket

“We are working to lower ticket prices,” said the head of Mitur

Considers the situation is one of the main obstacles to tourism in the DR

Once again, the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, attacked the “exaggerated” costs of air tickets, a situation that he considers to be one of the main obstacles facing the advancement of tourism in the Dominican Republic.

“We are working together with the consulates and airlines; we are going to encourage charters (flights) and get ticket prices down,” he said during a visit to the Dominican consulate in Miami.

Collado pointed out that, in April alone, 100,000 Dominicans who have adopted US citizenship traveled to the country as tourists. He considered it exaggerated that a ticket to the Dominican Republic is priced at up to 1,700 dollars in high season.

“We are going to work to get fair prices for Dominicans, and that is why we have held meetings with the main airlines, with charter companies, so that more flights arrive at lower prices to the country,” added Collado.

Precisely intending to lower the cost of airline tickets, the Dominican government is promoting the emergence of new airlines, even considering the creation of a flag carrier. President Luis Abinader himself has already announced this project.

Dominican FinTech sector posts highest growth in 2021

Santo Domingo.- The president of the Dominican Association of FinTech Companies (AdoFinTech), Miguel Ángel Adames, highlighted today that, between 2017 and 2021, the Dominican Republic was the country with the highest growth in Fintech Startups in the Latin American and Caribbean region, for an increase of 129%, according to data from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

He indicated that financial technology companies have experienced rapid growth throughout Latin America, especially during the pandemic.

The executive said that, in addition to helping to reduce the financial inclusion gap in the region, the Fintech sector has been one of the sectors that receives the most investment, managing to attract 125.0 billion dollars globally in 2021.

“In the Dominican Republic they are a key piece to boost the Dominican economy and the post-pandemic economic recovery process.”

Passengers from non-traditional destinations will arrive in the Dominican Republic

The Civil Aviation Board (JAC) president, José Marte Piantini, approved new operations to attract passengers to Dominican soil from non-traditional destinations such as Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Turkey.

This will be possible through 5 Code Shares, such as three from Iberia airline and two from AIR Europa; this arose from the air transport agreement signed between the Dominican Republic (DR) and the Kingdom of Spain in January this year, explained Piantini.

“With the approval of these operations, we seek to maintain connectivity between the destinations Tel Aviv (Israel), Madrid (Spain), and Santo Domingo, explained the public servant.

This code-share will allow passengers from Israel to use Iberia services on the route between this European city and the DR until 29 October 2022.

The JAC plenary also approved the code-share operations between Iberia and Qatar Airways. This year’s summer season, these flights will be operating on the Madrid/Santo Domingo/Madrid route. They will bring passengers from the United Arab Emirates after their stopover in Spain.

IBERIA also requested approval for the 2022 summer season to continue Code Share operations with Vueling Airlines.

The CAB had approved these operations during the winter season, from October 31, 2021, to March 26, 2022. They now seek to continue operating during the 2022 summer season on the Barcelona/Punta Cana/Barcelona route.

Similarly, the CAB approved Code Share operations between AIR Europe and Etihad Airways to operate the Madrid/Santo Domingo/Madrid route. As a result, passengers will be able to fly between points in Spain and points in the United Arab Emirates and other countries to the Dominican Republic.

Operations will be carried out during the 2022 summer season (March 27 to October 29, 2022).

AIR Europa was also approved for Code Share operations with Turkish Airlines to operate the Madrid/Santo Domingo/Madrid route, which will allow it to bring passengers on connecting flights to Istanbul, Turkey. The operations will be carried out during the 2022 Summer Season (March 27 to October 29, 2022).

With these Code-Share approvals, the Dominican Republic allows airlines to have a presence on routes where traffic volumes do not justify individual operations, thus allowing them to have a presence in a market through this type of agreement.