The Secretary of State for Tourism (SECTUR) projects that it will invest as much as $8 billion US dollars over the next five years (2008-2012) in tourism promotion projects. This year alone tourism projects will exceed $1.5 billion US dollars (nearly RD$51billion), according to Félix Jiménez, Minister of Tourism.

Jiménez said these numbers, a result of government confidence in the tourism sector, rely to a substantial degree on the continued stability of the country’s economy, according to a SECTUR press release.

In an interview on the morning news program Revista 110, Mr. Jiménez explained that large infrastructure projects planned for the upcoming five years will take place in the country’s main tourism areas such as the Punta Cana-Miches-Sabana de la Mar highway which will start in the next two months and will promote development in the province of El Seybo.

“Puerto Plata, Samaná, Río San Juan, La Romana, Barahona, Montecristi and San Cristóbal will also benefit from these initiatives. One, an Urban Renewable Process in the Tourism Zones, will begin April 14 when President Leonel Fernández inaugurates Liberation Town that will house residents from the El Tablón neighborhood,” said the tourism minister.

Jiménez added that “these upcoming four years will see a regeneration process of new beaches in Montecristi, Romana, Barahona, and Najayo and Palenque (in San Cristóbal, SC) as well as a new mountain highway,” that will run between Monción–Jánico-Jarabacoa-Constanza-Ocoa.

The minister cited two more examples of work to begin this year and 2009 which include, respectively, the remodeling of the port in Puerto Plata and construction of a 4-lane Puerto Plata-Navarrete highway, adding that the construction bids have just been opened.

He also mentioned that the successful publicity campaign carried out by SECTUR abroad has been effective and recognized by important publication as well as foreign investors who have invested an average of $23 million US dollars in the past three years. Jiménez pointed out that more than 45% of the hotel rooms in operation today in the Dominican Republic were built between 1996-2000 and 2004-2008, during the administration of President Leonel Fernández. Last year alone, private investment in tourism projects exceeded $1.42 billion US dollars and in 2006 $1 billion US dollars.