- What is the main focus of your section?

To provide wholesome and accurate entertainment guidance for our  readers as well as a discerning and impartial report in discovering new and fun places to visit in the island, adventure tourism, as well as current happenings.

- What about business ventures?

Yes, we definitely want to bring to the spotlight small and successful new businesses, new money making ideas, and new products for sale in the island that have succeeded elsewhere.

- Then are you bullish on Dominican Republic's tourism for the next year?

We are very well positioned in the industry. We have become more diversified and have withstood with good grades the events of 9/11/2001 and the banking crisis of 2003.

Our wholesale rates for packages are extremely competitive and the quality is excellent. Our daily per capita tourist expenditures have remained steady and the average length of stays is around 10 days which is very good.

- What are your forecasts for 2009?

I really don't want to bore you with facts and figures or dwell in speculation. There are a lot of negatives in the world at present and we have to be prepared for a percentage reduction in visitors if it does materialize. We are witnessing a mild slowdown now, and some say the worst is yet to come.

Yet I don't agree with doomsday forecasts, the Dominican Republic is very well positioned as I said, and the hotel overhead estimates   for fuel expenses for generating plants has been lowered and cost of operating and providing food in our "all inclusives" has dropped because of higher local agricultural production. The dollar has appreciated as well so the profits have increased as the labor costs have fallen.

- But, would you forecast more visitors?

We should consider ourselves lucky if we accomplish the same visitors of 2008. The cruise lines are rediscovering the DR and some great new facilities have been built, some European countries will be affected less by the world economic slowdown and some vacationers will find that having more spare time to travel and less work it is more attractive and in some cases cheaper to visit and relax in DR for a week or two than to stay home. The tourism office is focusing their new marketing promotions with a great budget in the main countries that generate our visitors which is very good. We have a great new slogan as well and new marketing promotions.

- What about the US dollar expectations versus the peso?

All experts and economic indicators point to an additional devaluation in the next few months to a range of 38.50 pesos for dollar to 41 pesos for dollar by year's end.

- What will spur increased tourism…what about adventure tourism on the island?

The DR with almost 50,000 square kilometers has many different ecosystems for visitors. We have tropical rain forests, cloud forests, a desert, sand dunes, mountains, over 300 beaches, waterfalls…

We have limitless opportunities to further develop adventure and ecotourism in those areas. Some of our visitors have never heard or visited Bahia de Las Aguilas, the canyons "Hoyo de Pelempito", the caverns Las maravillas, Enriquillo lake, the waterfalls El Limón, Aguas Blancas, Jimenoa, the cool mountains of Constanza or the wild rivers of Jarabacoa for rafting. Some don't know about the tallest mountains and highest peak in the Caribbean Pico Duarte, and the islands Catalina, Saona and Cayo Levantado.

Some visitors have no idea that huge 40 ton whales come to visit us every year up in Samana, where you can get on a cruise boat and get close to them. You can also go diving in the clear protected waters of the natural fish pond near Las Galeras, Samana, or go to the world’s best windsurfing and kite surfing in Cabarete, Puerto Plata.

- What about clubs, music entertainment?

That’s our middle name, LOL. If you are looking for history, music, gambling and excitement then come to the capital Santo Domingo and visit the colonial zone or the dozens of fine restaurants and night clubs throughout.

There’s always some event going on in the weekends which we’ll announce to our readers with plenty of time. Concerts, frequent art exhibits, seminars.

We just announced the festivities of La Vega’s Carnival, which are a lot of fun and a once-a-year event that shouldn't be missed. And in Santiago visit the privately managed Centro León, with one of the Caribbean’s most important Indian artifacts, museum and art exhibit.

- What else?

Much more…we have private bird hunting preserves for the hunter and shooter, great salt water fishing, world class skeet and trap facilities and the most and best golf courses for the golf enthusiasts.

What about the beautiful and friendly natives? LOL. We can devote a whole section exclusively and delve into that subject. As the new Tourism Ministry slogan says: ‘We Have it All’.