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Puerto Plata Modernizes Tourism Offerings
Four important hotel chains in Puerto Plata have presented proposals to the Secretary of State for Tourism (SECTUR) to renovate their services and installations in order to be in keeping with international standards.
“It must be noted that Puerto Plata is growing slowly. According to data from February, and this is only the 19th day of the month, hotel occupancy has surpassed what it was a year ago this time,”
Included in the initiative are projects that, for the recuperation of this touristic area, have been underway as part of the current governmental request with an investment of more than $150 million dollars, or about 5 billion pesos, according to SECTUR.
Tourism Minister, Félix Jiménez, pointed out that some 6,000 hotel rooms among the approximately 16,000 available in Puerto Plata, need improvement.
“Of these 6,000, four hotel chains that have thousands of rooms between them have already presented their renovation plans. It is our goal that this year Puerto Plata enjoys the same growth as Punta Cana and Santo Domingo enjoyed last year,” explained Mr. Jiménez.
To evaluate the hotel installations in the area, Jiménez said that a commission has been formed with participants from the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores) coordinated by deputy minister of SECTUR, Radhamés Martínez Aponte “so that these hotels have the facilities permitted them under the Law of Tourism Incentives.”
The Best Winter
Luis López, president of Asonahores, added that official statistics reflect a growth in tourism in Puerto Plata.
“It must be noted that Puerto Plata is growing slowly. According to data from February, and this is only the 19th day of the month, hotel occupancy has surpassed what it was a year ago this time,” López said.
He also pointed out that current hotel occupancy in other areas has surpassed a 95% average, not just in Punta Cana but also in Samaná, Sosua, Cabarete, Sosúa, Cabarete, Puerto Plata, Playa Dorada, Boca Chica, Juan Dolio and in the capital Santo Domingo. “As such, this has been the best winter we’ve had in the Dominican Republic in terms hotel occupancy,” Mr. López said.
He added that, in the near future, various hotels in Puerto Plata will also present their remodeling plans to SECTUR.
The Minister of Tourism and Mr. López referred to these issues within the context of the recent agreement between SECTUR and the ECA-Quality Institute Consortium which will soon undertake a hotel classification system in the Dominican Republic.
Tourism Minister Félix Jiménez; Luis López, president of Asonahores; Radhamés Martínez Aponte, Deputy Tourism
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