SANTO DOMINGO.- The appearance of the AH1N1 virus in Mexico and the ensuing panic that spurred the massive transfer of its tourists to Dominican Republic, allowed the country to break the 10 month streak with negative figures in the arrival of foreigners.

Tourist arrivals climbed 1.03% in May after declining consecutively since June last year.

However that recovery was from the conjuncture of a disease which is now in Dominican territory, which indicates that it isn’t guaranteed for the following months.

Central Bank statistics show that in the past first five months 1.8 million nonresident foreign and national visitors came to the country, a fall of -3.69% compared with the same period last year, but less than the -4.80% fall in January-April.

The arrival of nonresident foreigners in the January-May 2009 period fell -4.13%, which was also less than the current -5.02% slide in the first fourth month period this year, which reveals a timid recovery.