Bahia de las Aguilas. A golden opportunity for the Tourism Ministry.
Santo Domingo.- To guarantee the stability of Dominican Republic’s most productive sector, the Tourism Ministry says it maintains diverse plans to promote ecotourism nationwide.
Two months ago Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia signed a agreement to stimulate sustainable tourism projects with Japan’s cooperation agency JICA, said public relations director Rosanna Figueroa, in response to United Nations Program for Development (PNUD) affirmations that the Dominican tourism model is unsustainable because it doesn’t include the protection of the natural resources.
She said Tourism recently spent RD$500 million to repair roads in Punta Cana, Bavaro, Boca Chica, Samaná and other tourism regions and a local campaign to promote internal tourism and create awareness on the economic importance of protecting the environment.
The official said the Government has an extreme interest in the protection of this sector, for which Garcia is always aware of each of the stages of its development.
The PNUD and Environment Ministry last week hosed a dialogue which concluded with a scathing criticism for the tourism industry’s “irresponsibility in managing the natural resources.”
From: Dominican Republic, Parque Colon statue of Anacaona
tourism and ecology are on a collision course
From: Dominican Republic, Parque Colon statue of Anacaona
so called eco tourism is the future .....Costa Rica is leading in this game .....Pay attention or get left behind
From: Dominican Republic
eco tourism is gaining popularity and Costa Rica is such a great job. Nice way not to destroy everything for the sake of Tourist... that dont have to live here 365 days a year !
Written by: anthonyC, 7 Sep 2009 10:07 AM
From: United States
What do you call people who embrace the "eco-Tourism" business model?
Poor
Written by: Cacique, 7 Sep 2009 10:24 AM
From: Dominican Republic
What do you call those who don't
you don't.
Written by: Juciosa, 7 Sep 2009 11:49 AM
From: United States
I read a blog from an American ex-patriate now living in DR and he took a picture of all this trash along the shores.For such a beautiful island,it appears the people as well as the gov't could all be a little more concerned about the environment in the DR
Written by: Sajomero, 7 Sep 2009 4:04 PM
From: United States, Del primer Santiago de America....y el mejor!!!
Its funny how these idiots are just noticing ecotourism. I went to CR in 93' and already their ecotourism structure was in place and working very well. See unlike us, they are not gifted with as many beautiful or easily accesible beaches. Their forest are filled with lots of rivers and streams are a very attractive alternative, as well has having many good benefits such as lots of hydroelectric power. We have missed the ecotourism boat for way too long, allowing our resources to be degraded or in many cases completly eliminated. Lets hope they do implement something radical soon and stop destroying what little we have left.
Written by: synapse, 7 Sep 2009 4:53 PM
From: United States
What the UN is attempting to say in so many words is that the (Spaniard) Hotel Industry that dominates is perfectly willing to sacrifice the environment in order to keep sending home profits back to Spain and has the blessing of the government and the church to do so along with right to keep paying sub-standard wages to Dominicans who live below the poverty level and are desperate for any work at all. This wouldn't happen if these were American Hotel chains because of the fear of environmental law-suit liability. But since the conquistadores, the Spanish have been corrupting the poor and ignorant for a fast buck where ever they can get it and leave only when they are run out by peasant revolt. Haven't we seen this movie long enough?
From: United States
jeezus, synapse. i read your article, and for a minute i thought that i had written it. let us see if they lash you as hard as they lashed me when i wrote the same things. some fools think tourism is forever. they should go and google the TOURISM LIFE CYCLE, among other things, and start making real plans for development. allowing foreign nationals to deplete the natural resources (foreigners use 30 times as much water as nationals in the same time period, for example), only to retain 19 cents on the dollar through leakage, is UNSUSTAINABLE. there, i said it again.
Written by: synapse, 9 Sep 2009 1:04 AM
From: United States
Dread -- if it wasn't a foreigner it would be an under capitalized local Dominican so don't kid yourself. Dominicans are just as guilty of participating in the rape. The only thing I hate more than socialists are corrupt capitalists that pillage a country like a hurricane. Most of the world knows by now that tourism has not been the god send to the third world as it was supposed to be, -- thanks to short term profits. The DR is 40 years behind and doesn't want to see the social and environmental mess other countries have after the hotels closed down and moved on. Laws don't prevent corruption either and regardless of short term gains, there is no excuse for a people or government to allow their country to be destroyed for the sake of progress. Sustainable tourism is very profitable because there is a huge market that will pay more to patronize and reward socially responsible investment that uses best practices for humanitarian benefit. I know because I see it everyday!
From: United States
Dominicans do not have in intellectual depth to understand the simple concept of eco-tourism.
If there is no way to steal from it or have to put in work, it will not be done.
From: United States
synapse, every single word you write is true. some nitwits on this board believe that the DR is the master of caribbean tourism, and wrote the book on the subject. they fail to realise that, as you rightly state, the DR is just getting into the game, 40 years later than some other caribbean islands, the ISSA brothers started this whole all inclusive thing in Jamaica decades ago. they basically invented the concept. the thing is a disaster, and serves no purpose to the surrounding region except to impoverish it. add to that the foreign ownership component, which means that most of the money filters back to the core countries, and you have what the DR has; a few jobs for chambermaids and sanky pankies, and foreigners controlling the industry. the local powers that be are willing to sell out to the outsiders, because they have no sense on nationalism and self respect , anyway. slide them enough money under the table to buy a jeepeta, and they will give you the body of Juan Bosch.
Written by: synapse, 11 Sep 2009 2:12 AM
From: United States
Now you're talking Dread!
It's laughable too that the DR is a model to emulate when it took them 40 yrs to realize that tourism could be their best foreign currency generator. Being inmature, they will screw it up before they get it together, --like how Puerto Plata followed Acapulco Hotels dumping raw sewage into the bay until they killed the destination or how St. Maarten too died a slow death in the 70's luring NY Jews from decaying Miami Beach with cheap All Inclusives that made them almost go broke for lack of enough low wage slave labor to exploit like the DR. Slavery is alive and well in the DR and those smiling faces are younger because the older labor is too frustrated. The all inclusive poison will surely chase away quality seeking affluent guests who TIP well, --and you end up catering to cheap tourists who don't tip, complain all day, love tasteless buffets and cheap rum drinks -and you produce a very low repeat guest rate like the DR has (less than 10%). Good grief!
Written by: labarque, 11 Sep 2009 1:41 PM
From: Dominican Republic
L'écotourisme ??? Je ne sais pas ce que ça veut dire...
L'écotourisme est un "buzz" de nations développées.
Sauf si on parle d' économies d'énergie, de préservation des forêts, de traitement des eaux usées et bien d'autres sujets du même type.
Est-ce qu'il s'agit de promouvoir le tourisme à l'intérieur du pays afin d'apporter des emplois à une population qui n'en a pas... Et seulement cela ?
Dans cette optique, le vrai problème de la RD est le développement "durable", ce n'est pas la même chose: traitement économique des énergies non renouvelable, utilisation de carburant "vert" (solaire, éolien, biocarburant etc...) mais surtout il faut insister sur les économies d'énergie dans ce pays. Des centaines de véhicules doivent être mis a la casse, des lignes électriques refaites, des fosses sceptiques efficaces et aux normes internationales doivent être installées, des bâtiments isolés sur le plan thermique, etc,etc,etc... Est-il nécessaire de mettre la climatisation à fond da
From: United States
synapse, you are a baaad man!!! yes, brother, preach. tell these nitwits who are celebrating our top of the heap status that the average tourist in the all inclusives spend around 99 dollars per day in this country, and 198 in some others. remind them of our return rates, which are pitiful compared to places like Bermuda and Barbados. remind them that tourists in those other islands stay longer, and spend more per day. and remind them that other caribbean islands have a far greater local ownership component thatn theDR, so, when we keep 19 cents of every dollar, they probably keep closer to 34 or 35. then tell me who is number one!! yes, we are working hard, contaminating our natural resources, and debasing our culture so that some guys in the USA and Europe can get rich without polluting their own country.
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Poor
you don't.
Dominicans do not have in intellectual depth to understand the simple concept of eco-tourism.
If there is no way to steal from it or have to put in work, it will not be done.
It's laughable too that the DR is a model to emulate when it took them 40 yrs to realize that tourism could be their best foreign currency generator. Being inmature, they will screw it up before they get it together, --like how Puerto Plata followed Acapulco Hotels dumping raw sewage into the bay until they killed the destination or how St. Maarten too died a slow death in the 70's luring NY Jews from decaying Miami Beach with cheap All Inclusives that made them almost go broke for lack of enough low wage slave labor to exploit like the DR. Slavery is alive and well in the DR and those smiling faces are younger because the older labor is too frustrated. The all inclusive poison will surely chase away quality seeking affluent guests who TIP well, --and you end up catering to cheap tourists who don't tip, complain all day, love tasteless buffets and cheap rum drinks -and you produce a very low repeat guest rate like the DR has (less than 10%). Good grief!
L'écotourisme est un "buzz" de nations développées.
Sauf si on parle d' économies d'énergie, de préservation des forêts, de traitement des eaux usées et bien d'autres sujets du même type.
Est-ce qu'il s'agit de promouvoir le tourisme à l'intérieur du pays afin d'apporter des emplois à une population qui n'en a pas... Et seulement cela ?
Dans cette optique, le vrai problème de la RD est le développement "durable", ce n'est pas la même chose: traitement économique des énergies non renouvelable, utilisation de carburant "vert" (solaire, éolien, biocarburant etc...) mais surtout il faut insister sur les économies d'énergie dans ce pays. Des centaines de véhicules doivent être mis a la casse, des lignes électriques refaites, des fosses sceptiques efficaces et aux normes internationales doivent être installées, des bâtiments isolés sur le plan thermique, etc,etc,etc... Est-il nécessaire de mettre la climatisation à fond da