SANTO DOMINGO.- Visits by Haitians to Dominican Republic in the first half this year generated more than 100 million dollars, said a former consul quoting a report, which notes that of the 146,000 who entered the country so far this year, 70 percent did so legally.

Edwin Paraison, director of the Zile Foundation, said the fact that an increasing number of Haitians who enter Dominican Republic meet the legal requirements is progress, and from the total who entered, around 102,200 came legally.

He said the figure can be easily verified by crossing the number of visas the four Dominican consulates in Haiti issue with the Immigration Agency’s form to enter Dominican territory.

Paraison said that growth has allowed Dominican Republic to move ahead of countries such as Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Miami, as a shopping and business destination, given its proximity with Haiti. He also said his countrymen come as tourists on weekends. “It’s known that tourism from Port Prince to Barahona has allowed the survival of the hotels in the country’s South and it now expands to the hotels of the East, through organized tours and the growth of the transportation offer, with three land lines.”

He said just in visas and taxes Haitian visitors have generated around US$12.3 million, with a visas costing as much as US$240 and US$20 for the exit tax.

He said of the 102,200 legal visitors, 60 percent come for business, “with average purchases of RD$50,000 per month, aside from hotel expenses, generally, for a 2-day stay in economy lodging.”

The former diplomat said the around 61,000 Haitian business travelers in the first half this year have generated around US$93 million, with a US$15 million monthly average.

Those numbers, Paraison said, don’t include the large number of Haitian importers, who pay a weekly tax to the cities along the border, to participate in the “fairs” or bi-national markets. “The arrival of Haitians invigorates several economic sectors, among them the land and air transport, including local transport in taxis and motoconchos, tourism, commerce, call centers, hotels and restaurants, among others.”