The DR is closer to the US than Puerto Rico

By law hotels in the DR cannot be built higher than the tallest palm trees.

Punta Cana has the 2nd busiest airport in the Caribgean.  Can you guess which is number 1?

Between 3000 and 5000 whales pass through the coral reef of the Silver Banks every winter

The Dominican Republic is not an island, but a country on the island of Hispaniola

Hispaniola is the 2nd largest island in the Caribbean?  Can you guess #1?  Send the answer on the feedback (last) page.

There are 16 national parks, nine natural monuments, 6 scientific reserves, 1 UNESCO heritage site and a total of 67 protected areas in the Dominican Republic.

The Government keeps on promoting the development of the country's tourist zones, and is interested to encourage private participation in the sector. For these reasons the State has been traditionally concerned with the following activities:

(i) The construction of adequate infrastructure for the tourist industry, such as roads, ports, airports and public services.
(ii) The development of human resources through co-operation with universities and technical institutions.
(iii) The realization of promotional campaigns in foreign markets.
(iv) The granting of credits and incentives to private investors.

Law 153 of 1971 on Promotion and Incentive of Tourist Development was in force until the adoption of the new Tax Code in 1992. This legislation granted tax incentives to national and foreign investors who participated in the tourist sector. The law was abolished, and the Tax Code only recognized that private investors wishing to participate in the tourist sector might obtain tax exemptions through the signature of special agreements with the Executive Power,
upon authorization of the National Congress.

The Government has recently taken up this strategy again, having passed in the year 2001 a new tourism promotion statute (Law 158-01 on Promotion of Tourism Development), aimed at grating incentives to tourist activity, but focusing certain areas that have not yet fully developed their potential.