DR’s Ruling Party Hopeful Pledges to Give Tourism a Starring Role

Ruling PLD party presidential challenger Danilo Medina in the Dominican Republic has said the country needs a long-term plan for sustainable tourism development aimed at increasing the number of foreign tourists and room availability.

In a speech to party leaders and supporters, Medina stated that despite the large investments the PLD government had made in the tourist sector, a long-term plan was needed to achieve the development the country needs.

“We have improved the sector, but we lack a long-term plan and we have to establish it to focus the country and decide where we want to be in the next ten years”, said Medina. He said that the agricultural sector needed to be re-launched so that it produces to tourist standards, “and this would be a way of expanding the local market. When a tourist eats locally produced chicken, beef, rice or vegetables, we are exporting within our own territory”.

Danilo Medina also believes that it is not possible for the country to compete in the regional market if it does not solve the electricity problem.

The presidential hopeful was in Puerto Plata on Saturday as part of his internal party campaigning activities in the lead-up to the party’s convention. He also addressed a series of campaign meetings in the towns of Sosua, Imbert, La Isabela, Los Hidalgos, Guananico and Luperon.