SANTO DOMINGO.- Around 5 million tourists will visit Dominican Republic in 2012, bringing with them 5 billion dollars in income, said Tourism minister Felix Jiménez on Thursday, basing his projections on the "millions" the Dominican Government spends in the tourism regions, as well as on the "imminent" start of major real estate projects in Punta Cana (east).

"The Government has invested around 100 million dollars in the tourism sector, in addition to investments in areas such as roads, sanitary cleanup, beach regeneration and the elimination of shanty areas of the tourism zones," said Jiménez in a statement read during the Business Table hosted by the British magazine The Economist in Santo Domingo on Thursday.

During the next four years, the official said, there will be 2,500 more hotel rooms in the country, and that in 2007 to build a hotel room cost more than 140,000 dollars on average, compared with 40,000 dollars 10 years ago. "The real estate investments go hand in hand with development of important attractions, such as golf courses and marinas, and just in the East, from Juan Dolio to Bavaro, 15 golf facilities are operating, whereas eight others are being built."

As to the environmental aspect, the Tourism minister said it’s a requirement for tourism development. "As you know, the model ‘everything included’ tends to concentrate the income around resorts, limiting the benefits the communities derive, while other modalities spread the income in a more democratic manner, which indicates that we are headed toward a more a sustainable model in environmental, social and economic terms.”