Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.- The global crisis felt in the Dominican Republic has been especially hard on the North Coast’s tourism, mainly the Puerto Plata area, famous for its beautiful beaches and the comfort of its hotel facilities, several of which have been forced to close.

Some take advantage of the low occupancy and make repairs and others from lack of profits, leading to the lost of around 1,300 direct jobs so far this year.

Puerto Plata’s hoteliers worry about the effects of the crisis, which has forced many businesses to close indefinitely, while others remodel and make repairs.

In the 4,527 room Playa Dorada tourism complex several of its 14 hotels have had to shut their doors for different reasons, mostly from the lack of foreign visitors this time of year.

Managers and executives of the Playa Dorada Hotel, Restaurant and Business Association, who asked not to be named, told newspaper Hoy that tourism as a whole is “undergoing difficult times, but hope the world economy improves so their businesses can bloom again.”

They said hotels such as Viva Windham, with 204 rooms and 170 employees; Hotel Playa Dorada, with 501 rooms, 400 workers; Fun Royal Tropical, 352 rooms, with 140 workers and Club On the Green, with 336 rooms, 300 employees, have had to close for maintenance and definitively for the lack of income.

The Association affirms 1,393 people work In these four hotels, and some were given their severance pay while others were laid off until the businesses where they work conclude the remodeling.