With an eye to carving out a tourism niche among private airline companies, James Parker is in the Dominican Republic this week. Mr. Parker, invited by the government, is the main promoter of the Dominican tourism market for the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"We are trying to attract more tourism to the Dominican Republic. Currently there are 800,000 private pilots in the United States and very few of them even know where the DR is,”

"We are trying to attract more tourism to the Dominican Republic. Currently there are 800,000 private pilots in the United States and very few of them even know where the DR is,” declared Parker moments after arriving at the Joaquín Balaguer (El Higüero) International Airport where he was met by an official delegation led by Iris Pérez, deputy Minister for Tourism Training; Franklin Polance and Aníbal Feliz, officials from the Department of Airports and Ports and representatives from the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC).

Parker explained that the Dominican market is practically “untouched” by private aviation companies in the U.S. despite the fact that “if you want to fly internationally this is probably the best destination with its big hotels, golf courses, nice people,” to mention just a few advantages.

He said, nevertheless, that in a period of six months “we can reverse this scenario and begin to fly in many planes” taking into account that 70,000 private planes operating in the Caribbean still haven’t flown to the DR.

During his stay here, Parker will visit some of the country’s main tourist spots and golf courses as well as meet with authorities from the Department of Airports and Ports, the Ministry of Tourism and with people from the hotel sector. He said he has photographed the international airports of Cibao and Catey, the domestic airports of Constanza, Montecristi, Portillo and Cabo Rojo as well as the Cueva of las Maravillas, in San Pedro de Macorís.

He also pointed out that, for the first time, the DR will take part in a major annual aviation event to be held this July in Hoscos, Wisconsin (USA). The DR, under the Tourism Ministry (Sectur), will have its own pavilion.

Parker arrived at the airport on an internal flight from Samaná, with Al Simmon and Paúl Pensikowski.

His visit is taking place just after President Leonel Fernández emitted Decree 169-08, which exonerates the payment of non-commercial flight taxes on airplanes with a maximum capacity of 12 passengers or whose total weight does not exceed 30,000 pounds.

Mr. Parker said that in the conferences he gives to promote the region, people have shown great interest in our country as a destination. He added that was especially the case after the DR promoted its airports and hotels at the Aviation Convention in Lakeland, Florida which brought together some 6,000 private plane owners to whom some 10,000 promotional brochures were distributed.

As a result of this, they are organizing a Fly-In involving groups of airplanes that will visit the Dominican Republic this year.

Iris Pérez, James Parker and Aníbal Pérez

Iris Pérez, James Parker, Carmela Buonpensiére and Aníbal Pérez