Foreign Tourism and Vacation Resorts: the Effect on the Economy in the Dominican Republic

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Foreign Tourism and Vacation resorts: the effect on the economy in the Dominican Republic Rachael Salyards Strayer University POL300 March 24, 2010 Professor Faison Abstract The DR economy has changed dramatically since the 1970’s. Tourism now drives the economy. Not all of the benefits of tourism have been realized by the native population of the country. There are several steps that must be taken so that the country can develop. Foreign Tourism and Vacation resorts: the effect on the economy in the Dominican Republic In recent decades, the Caribbean has become the most tourist-penetrated region in the world (Padila & McElroy, 2005). Between 1970 and 2000, the number of extended stay tourists increased nearly five times from 3.5 to 17.2 million (Padila & McElroy, 2005). The vacation business is big business. White sand and blue waters entice travelers from all over the world, virtually year round. A shining jewel in the crown of the Caribbean is the Dominican Republic. Located in the center of the Caribbean Ocean, the Dominican Republic, or DR, is two thirds of the island of Hispaniola, the other one third is the French speaking country of Haiti (Tourism, 2008). Of the 48,380 sq km of land in DR, 1,288 km is coastline (Tourism, 2008). The temperature varies little from season to season, with only slight increases in rainfall and occasional hurricanes from July to October (Tourism, 2008). If the beaches aren’t enough for the avid vacationer, the country also offers 3 majestic mountain ranges, deep tropical rainforests, coral reefs, and a rich history stemming from Christopher Columbus’ original settlement in Santo Domingo (Tourism, 2008). There are over 225 resorts to choose from; many of them are all-inclusive.

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