Ferry Santo Domingo, DR – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Starting May 1st, the company Ferries del Caribe will provide its marine transport service from Santo Domingo directly to the Puerto Pan-Americano, located in Isla Grande, San Juan.
In a statement, the company said the cruise-ferry ship Caribbean Express will continue its Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule between Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, now departing at 6 p.m. to arrive at both destinations the following morning at 8 p.m.
Ferries del Caribe president Nestor Gonzalez said they transferred operations to San Juan after its thousands of passengers and commercial customers demanded better facilities such as common areas and parking.
The shipper said the transfer of operations, now “capital to capital,” will save time and money for the ferry’s passengers and customers, because the previous port was Mayaguez. He said his company transports 170,000 passengers, 19,000 vehicles and 11,000 containers between both ports annually.
The company also plans to build its own terminal in the country, which according to what Ferries executives said during a recent visit, will be in the eastern Santo Domingo harbor Sans Souci.
International Art Fair in the Dominican Republic
The Palace of Fine Arts will host the first International Art Fair in the Dominican Republic, with the participation of artists and art galleries from Europe, North, South and Central America, the Caribbean and the Dominican Republic.
More than 35 galleries will attend FIART Santo Domingo 2009, to be held 20-24 May. The first edition, which will be dedicated to Dominican artist Ivan Tovar, includes the attendance of outstanding international guests such as Colombian Fernando Botero and Cuban Pedro Pablo Oliva.
Dominican Republic receives flights bound for Mexico
The vice president of the hoteliers and restaurateurs grouped in Asonahores Friday said more than 50 flights with tourists who were headed to Mexico will arrive in the country this week, after the H1N1 virus that affects that nation prompted a change of destination. Arturo Villanueva said those flights are being received via an agreement with Mexican hoteliers, as a show of solidarity. He said all the necessary preventive measures have been taken across the country’s ports and airports and all necessary equipment have been acquired to gauge body temperatures. The hotelier also lauded president Leonel Fernandez’s decision to allocate 50 million pesos to purchase antiviral medicine. Villanueva said in addition to the measures the authorities have taken in hospitals and hotel zones, any person with an abnormal body temperature is subjected to an examination.
Dominican hoteliers join forces to boost tourism in Puerto Plata
Puerto Plata.– Puerto Plata, the most important city in Dominican Republic’s north coast owns countless tourist attractions and sites of great historic and cultural value that should be taken better advantage of and put to better use. For this purpose, the Associations of Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism Business of Puerto Plata (Ashonorte), the Playa Dorada Hotel, Condominium and Commercial Establishment Owners Association (AHPD) and the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of Sosua and Cabarete (Ashoresoca) have joined forces and signed a strategic alliance. According to the document, the alliance will set in motion a plan to promote Puerto Plata as a tourist destination and will stimulate the creation of new businesses and complementary offers and will cooperate with the city´s Historic Center Office in its tasks of remodeling, beautifying and revitalizing this cultural and commercial area.
Dominican group Aventura wins Billboard Latin Music Awards
Miami.– R&B-bachata group Aventura was among the biggest winners at the Billboard Latin Music Awards that took place Thursday night in Coral Gables, Florida. The group won four awards in the categories Tropical Airplay Song Of The Year by a Group Or Duo (for the song “El Perdedor”), Latin Rhythm Airplay Song Of The Year by a Duo Or Group (“El Perdedor”), Tropical Album Of The Year by a Duo Or Group (“K.O.B. Live”) and Top Latin Album Of The Year by a Duo Or Group (“Kings Of Bachata: Sold Out At Madison Square Garden”). Panamanian reggaeton sensation Flex won eight awards, and Spanish pop singer Enrique Iglesias took home six.
Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange, DATE 2009
The Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange, DATE 2009, the Dominican Tourism Industry’s premier marketing event, has released its official program, which includes the just-inaugurated Iberostar Grand Hotel Bávaro and The Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real, of the Iberostar Hotels & Resorts and Sun Meliá chains respectively.
The Barceló Bavaro Convention Center, site of the event, also features a new offer: the Barceló Bavaro Palace Junior Deluxe Suites with 448 suites, terrace with ocean view and jacuzzi for two people.
This property marks the start of a new luxury resort concept that Barceló is developing. The Iberostar Grand Bavaro Hotel will be the host of the event’s opening night is slated for April 20, and concludes the night of April 21.
Venezuelan group Los Guaraguaos to perform in Dominican Republic
The legendary Venezuelan group Los Guaraguaos is scheduled to perform at the auditorium of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) on 26 and 27 February . The group was part of the 1974 unforgettable “Seven Days with the People” festival, the most important artistic event held in the Dominican Republic in the seventies which included the presentation of such important voices as Silvio Rodriguez, Noel Nicola, Victor Manuel, Ana Belen, Pi de la Serra, Sonia Silvestre and Luis Diaz, among others.
Baseball in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican winter baseball season begins today with traditional rivalries of this capital’s two teams, another two from the north region Cibao and two more from the East.
Starting today and until the end of January emotions will run high as the king sport for Dominicans will be played in five stadiums across the country, to the delight of thousands of fans.
Santiago’s Aguilas will defend the country’s baseball crown against the traditional rival Tigres del Licey (Santo Domingo).
The Gigantes (San Francisco-northeast), Leones (Santo Domingo), Estrellas (San Pedro-east), and Azucareros (La Romana-east) will play in the regular season to be inaugurated tonight in San Francisco.
Luzcace Pottery - Ceramic Art and fashion jewellery in Puerto Plata - DR 