Dominican boating tourism needs a jumpstart

Santo Domingo.-Although the growth of the nautical industry was positive in the country, better ports and more service centers are required to receive the flow of boats that remain sailing in the seas due to not finding mooring points to make their stops, which that subtracts economic entrance to the demarcations located in the coastal zones.

Of 2,300 mooring points in the country, only seven meet the physical characteristics for recreational boats. Of 7,000 boats a year that sail along the north coast, only 800 can stop at one of the seven mooring points, the Dominican nautical industry reported yesterday.

They detailed that throughout the year each pleasure yacht that stops in Dominican territory leaves approximately US$800 per month for current expenses, to which maintenance, insurance and employees are added.

The Dominican-Italian Chamber of Commerce (CCDI), with the support of the Italian Embassy in the Dominican Republic, held a discussion on the prospects and trends of nautical tourism in the country.