GENERAL INFORMATION

The Dominican Republic is the main tourist destination of the Caribbean. It occupies two thirds of the island of Santo Domingo, formerly known as Espanola or Hispaniola. With an area of 48,670 square kilometers, it is the second largest country in the Antilles. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North; the Caribbean Sea, to the South; the Mona Passage, which separates it from the island of Puerto Rico, to the East and the Republic of Haiti, with which it shares the island, to the West.

With a pleasant tropical climate and an annual average temperature of 78ø Fahrenheit (26ø Celsius), the Dominican Republic has an amazing geographic diversity. It has beautiful and extensive beaches of fine white sand and coconut trees, fertile valleys with exuberant vegetation, desert zones with dune formations and mighty mountain chains where Pico Duarte, the highest peak in the Caribbean, is found.

The Dominican Republic has important forest and scientific reserves as well as national parks that protect the island's great variety of flora and endemic fauna. For example, The National Park of Cabritos, located in the salty waters of Lake Enriquillo, has an extraordinary reserve of alligators and flamingoes.

According to the 1993 Census, the Dominican population has more than seven million inhabitants, more than 55% of whom live in urban zones. In addition to its capital, Santo Domingo de Guzman, the country's leading cities are Santiago de los Caballeros, San Pedro de Macoris, La Romana, Puerto Plata and Barahona.

CULTURE AND HISTORY

When the Spaniards arrived on December 5, 1492, the "Tainos", Arauacos Indians who came from South America inhabited the island. These inhabitants called the island "Quisqueya"; it was divided into several domains or chieftainships.

The way of life of these inhabitants, mainly consisting of farming, hunting and fishing, experienced a radical change with the Spanish presence. They did not adapt and vanished in a short time. This extinction was followed by the arrival of African black slaves.

The island of Santo Domingo was the center of Spain's conquest and colonization of the New World. The principal expeditions that launched the discovery of other territories in the Caribbean and America departed from Santo Domingo's coasts.

The island felt the confrontation of European monarchies for the control of these new lands. Buccaneers and filibusters initiated a process that ended with the French occupation of the totality of the island with the Treaty of Basle in 1795.

In 1808, the French were driven out of the Eastern part of the island, which again passed over to Spanish control. After a brief attempt at independence, the Haitian occupation of the island began in 1822 and ended in February 27, 1844 with the proclamation of the National Independence.

Despite the independence ideal that Juan Pablo Duarte and the Trinitarians promoted in 1844 the island was annexed to Spain in 1861. Nevertheless, the Restoring Movement gave back to tlle Dominican Republic its status as an independent nation in 1865.

During its first republican periods, the country went through moments of political instability. These periods either prepared the ground for foreign military occupation or the rising of authoritarian governments such as those of Ulises Heureaux and Rafael L. Trujillo.

In 1966, the democratic consolidation and the strengthening of the development of the national productive structures, including the tourist industry, was initiated. From 1966 to 1994, the Reformist Party and the Dominican Revolutionary Party won eight elections.

The political and social stability attained in the Dominican Republic, together with the country's many resources, have been key factors in the development of the tourist trade. During the past two decades tourism has become the main sector of the national economy, generating 5.9% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and employing more than 149,000 persons.

CULTURAL MESTIZATION AND ITS LEGACIES

In the Dominican Republic live around 7.2 million people. In the capital Santo Domingo live around 2.3 million people. The Dominican people are the result of a process of mestization or union between three great cultures: the indigenous, European white and African black. The legacy of each one blends into what is today the Dominican culture: into its eating habits, such as cassava bread (made from yuca); into its religious beliefs that combine Christian and African rituals; into the lively and famous musical rhythm of the "merengue", "bachata" and "mangulina"; and into the toponymy, among other elements.

A series of buildings and monuments testify to the pioneering and decisive role of the island in the process of colonization. Many of the first occidental institutions of the New World were established on the island, including the first city "La Isabela," founded in 1494; the first hospital; the first cathedral; and the first university, founded in 1538.

In Dominican history, the mixture of races and cultures has been dynamic. Numerous colonies of nations of different countries and regions, such as the Japanese, Chinese, Lebanese and Spaniards, have settled in the country permanently and have contributed important customs to the Dominican culture. This process confirms the hospitality and receptivity that characterize the Dominican people, which is reflected in the pleasant and friendly way they treat tourists.

NATIONAL CELEBRATIONS

From the popular and tourist point of view, the main Dominican holiday is the Carnival, celebrated in the principal cities on dates near the commemoration of the National Independence, February 27. The most important carnival celebrations are those held in the cities of La Vega, Montecristi, Santo Domingo and Santiago.

Another important event is the "Merengue Festival" which takes place in mid-year in the city of Santo Domingo. For one week, the seaside area of the capital becomes the meeting place of the best orchestras of the country, and of an enthusiastic audience that enjoys and dances to the contagious Dominican rhythms.

ECONOMIC SECTORS

Since the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the sugar industry has been the country's main economic activity. A great part of the national income came from this sector, which, with other products, such as bauxite, gold, ferronickel, coffee, tobacco and cacao, constitutes the so called traditional export sector.

Since the 1970's the falling prices of the majority of these products became unsustainable. This was especially obvious in the case of the sugar industry, controlled by the Dominican State and its Consejo Estatal del Azucar (CEA) almost totally.

As a result, the Dominican State decided to diversify and promote non-traditional sectors, and adopted the following measures, among others:

As a result of this process, promoted by the State and with the dynamic participation of the private sector, agroindustry, free zones and tourism have been integrated into the main productive sectors of our economy.

TOURISM AS AN IMPORTANT PRODUCTIVE SECTOR

In the last fifteen years, tourism has experienced substantial growth in the Dominican Republic. In addition, it has become one of the main economic sectors of the country, and a great generator of foreign currency and employment.

Indeed, the Dominican Republic has turned into the principal tourist destination of the Caribbean market, absorbing 13% of the tourist flow to this region in 1992. The Dominican Republic's tourist boom has led to an increase from 3,800 rooms in 1980 to 24,410 rooms in 1992. For the same period, the number of tourists that visited the Dominican Republic jumped from 556,423 to 1,562,294. This last number rose to more than two million in 1993.

Tipping
Meal tickets include a ten percent service fee, but's customary to leave an additional tip if you feel you were well served.

Credit Cards
Most hotels and restaurants accept all major credit cards.

Departure Tax
There is an US$10.00 departure tax for residents and non-residents.

Electricity
The electricity is 110 volts with 60 cycles. There are sporadic black-outs, but most hotels have their own generator. Having a flashlight is handy.

GOVERNMENT POLICY IN THE TOURIST SECTOR

Decree 2538 of 1968 declared of "national interest the development of the tourist industry in the Dominican Republic." Since then, promoting tourism has been greatly emphasized. This decree indicated the obligation of the different institutions of the public administration to coordinate every action and resource to favor tourism.

To encourage and promote private investment and the development of this sector, the State employs a variety of mechanisms, such as:

INFRASTRUCTURE

For the development of tourism, the zones where this activity will take place must have all the necessary infrastructure.

Roads

Knowing that the development of the tourist industry requires good roads, the State considers as a priority the construction of regional as well as of inter-regional roads to connect tourist zones with the nearest urban centers and service areas. The regulating plans of the different tourist zones, such as Decree 226 of 1987 established for the southwestern region, indicate the roads to be constructed by the State.

Ports

In order for the country to benefit from the tourist activity that marine cruises generated, the State constructed ports for tourism and provided zones within those already in existence. It has also authorized tourist ships to dock in places previously prohibited, such as Catalina Island.

Airports

The State's undertaking has moved towards the construction of international airports such as those in Puerto Plata and Barahona. It has also granted international functions to existing national airports.

For the construction of the new airports, the government has resorted to declaring specific parcels of public interest; for instance, the Airport of Barahona was constructed on land declared to be public interest by Decree 649 of 1986.

Public Services

When preparing plans of tourist zones, electric, sewage and aqueduct work and other public services to be carried out by the Public Sector are indicated.

In the same way, private telephone companies, such as CODETEL and TRICOM, are authorized to take the necessary steps to provide tourist zones with these services.

Politics
The Dominican Republic is a democracy, with presidential elections every 4 year. There are three Government powers: the Executive, featuring aPresident with strong powers, the Legislative with a Congress (composed of Senators and Representatives) and the Judiciary.