Dominican Republic allows 22-floor high-rises near beaches

Santo Domingo.- Tourism minister Francisco Javier García on Wed. announced that from now the construction of high-rises as tall as 22 floors will be allowed in Punta Cana (east).

The bombshell announcement comes after weeks of reports of a standoff pitting the Dominican hoteliers grouped in Asonahores against the developers interested in investing in the construction of high-rises near the beaches of Macao and Cap Cana, in Punta Cana.

Garcia, interviewed in the National Palace, said that in a meeting with the hoteliers it was agreed that any future dispute arising from the change in zoning, would be discussed in a dialogue established for those purposes.

He said it’s the first time that a conflict arises in the tourism sector during his nine-year tenure. “This is the first time that I am referring to a conflict, I think what we have to do is continue to promote tourism, to continue reaping the successes we have achieved.”

Meanwhile, tourism mogul Frank Rainieri said the issue isn’t a conflict, but a struggle for principles and values, and hailed the agreement reached by Tourism and Asonahores to postpone the “construction issue” and table the talks.

“I think it’s best that we return to dialogue, to negotiation, and we must understand that Asonahores assumed a negotiating position and you have to understand that I, as a member of Asonahores, I cannot comment.”