Frank and Haydee Rainieri, founders of Puntacana Resort & Club, will be honored during the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference scheduled for 4-6 May 2010 in Puerto Rico. The Rainieris will receive the Bill Bissell Lifetime Achievement Award that honors individuals who have made a difference in the industry through their actions, contributions and great lifetime accomplishments in the Caribbean and beyond.

“Frank and Haydee’s impact on Caribbean tourism – as well as their work on sustainability issues, social reform and education – is well known and is deserving of the entire region’s respect,” said Enrique De Marchena Kaluche, President of CHTA.

“The Caribbean owes a huge debt of gratitude to Frank Rainieri who founded the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) and served as our chairman for the first several years,” said Sir Royston O. Hopkin, KCMG, CAST’s current chairman.

Frank Rainieri is a renowned leader and visionary in the Dominican Republic and the Greater Caribbean. He is credited with pioneering the Punta Cana region’s tourism product and developing Puntacana Resort & Club from 10 small bungalows in 1971 into one of the most exclusive and elegant tourist retreats in present day Dominican Republic. Haydee Rainieri is the current president of the National Association of Hotels & Restaurants (Asonahores).

Punta Cana.– JetBlue will begin offering daily nonstop flights, year round, between Punta Cana and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, making golf vacations that much more convenient.

On May 8, the company will begin offering nonstop, Saturday flights between Punta Cana and Boston’s Logan International Airport.

To celebrate the new routes, JetBlue is offering these flights at $99 each way if booked by February 1 for travel between May 8 and June 12.

A key focus for the certification was the upgrading of chiller systems and guest room air-conditioning as well as the installation of an ultraviolet purifier in the resort’s water treatment plant. In addition, the resort’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, which were introduced to assist the local community’s school and students, also played an important role.

The new program encourages guests to donate notebooks, pencils and textbooks for the local community. The resort organizes day trips for the local school students, where the educational materials are presented and the resort’s facilities are open for the students and their families to enjoy.

“At Barcelo, we are always reaching for higher and more specific benchmarks, like that of Green Globe,” said Claudio Zboznovits, vice president of Barceló Hotels & Resorts sales and marketing in the U.S. and Canada. “Our guests appreciate our efforts, both to provide eco-friendly features but also to make a positive impact on the local community. This certification helps to further demonstrate our company-wide commitment in both areas.”

Green Globe CEO Guido Bauer said, “The Barceló Punta Cana Resort has truly excelled with the certification program, and through their efforts, the resort has achieved 85 percent of the certification criteria. For a resort to succeed in reaching this level in their first year of certification is outstanding.”

The resort is located on one of the Dominican Republic’s most beautiful nature settings, alongside the white sands of Arena Gorda Beach at Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana. It is a Premium Barcelo all-inclusive resort, which joined the Barcelo brand in 2006.

1. London, UK
2. New York City
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. Paris, France
5. Dublin, Ireland
6. Los Angeles, CA
7. Orlando, FL
8. Rome, Italy
9. Madrid, Spain
10. Miami, FL
11. Cancun, Mexico
12. Frankfurt, Germany
13. Honolulu, HI
14. San Francisco, CA
15. Amsterdam, Netherlands
16. San Jose, CA
17. Barcelona, Spain
18. Manchester, UK
19. Sydney, Australia
20. Johannesburg, South Africa
21. Bangkok, Thailand
22. Fort Lauderdale, FL
23. Lima, Peru
24. Buenos Aires, Argentina
25. Chicago, IL
26. Tel Aviv, Israel
27. Athens, Greece
28. Munich, Germany
29. Milan, Italy
30. Nassau, Bahamas
31. Vancouver, BC
32. Berlin, Germany
33. San Juan, PR
34. Tokyo, Japan
35. Seattle, WA
36. Washington DC
37. Auckland, New Zealand
38. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
39. Toronto, ON
40. Edinburgh, UK
41. Krakow, Poland
42. Montego Bay, Jamaica
43. Denver, CO
44. Mexico City
45. Melbourne, Australia
46. Copenhagen, Denmark
47. Fort Myers, FL
48. Glasgow, UK
49. Havana, Cuba
50. Venice, Italy

The 1st global thematic conference on tourism clusters will be held under the general theme “World Class Sustainable Competitive Tourism Clusters.

” The conference will bring together cluster practitioners, researchers, international experts and tourism professionals from all over the world, to discuss the main issues and the latest trends on promoting competitiveness through local development and clusters in one of the most important global industries.

For four intense days, practitioners will be dedicated to networking, deepening knowledge and exchanging ideas, best practices and lessons learned throughout the world, and also experiencing on-site tourism clustering in one of the top destinations in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic.
TCI is the global practicioners network for competitiveness, clusters and innovation.
See www.tci-network.org
Registration is now open at www.drtourismclusters.com
For more information, write to Maria Victoria Abreu at maria.abreu@cnc.gov.do

Francisco Javier Garcia said November tourist arrivals climbed 6 percent more than the same month last year, with visits by nonresident foreigners to the country rising 4.49 percent, whereas those of nonresident Dominicans jumped 16.67 percent.

The official, speaking in the inaugural of the hotel Nouvelles Frontieres, in Uvero Alto, Punta Cana, noted that 284,824 tourists visited the country in November, surpassing the November 2008 arrivals of 286,469, an increase of 16,355, or 6.09 percent.

Garcia said of that amount 41,167 were nonresident Dominicans, more than the 35,284 in 2008, an increase 5,883 visitors to Dominican soil in that month, or 16.67 percent higher. He added that 243,472 nonresident foreigners visited in that period, compared with the 233,185 in 200, or 10,472 additional visitors, a 4.49 percent rise.

CAE, which owns and operates the airport, will build a new runway and taxiway suitable for larger aircraft and expand the passenger terminal. The expansion will enable increased passenger capacity, improve services, and diversify destination markets. It also will benefit the local economy by supporting tourism, a key source of foreign exchange and fiscal revenues.

The airport serves top-tourist destinations of the Punta Cana and Bavaro regions and is the country’s busiest and fastest-growing airport. During the first 10 months of 2009, it handled about 3.2 million passengers and accounted for roughly 43.2 percent of total air passengers in the Dominican Republic.

“In 1984, we opened the Punta Cana International Airport, an essential infrastructure project for the Dominican Republic’s economic and social growth,” said Frank Rainieri, President and CEO of Grupo Punta Cana SA, CAE’s shareholding company. “We welcome IFC’s financial support and expertise in this project that will help enhance regional development.”

Salem Rohana, IFC Representative in the Dominican Republic, said, “IFC’s support of the Punta Cana International Airport project shows our commitment to helping develop the local infrastructure and tourism sectors, a cornerstone of our strategy in the Caribbean. It also reiterates our continued support of the region in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.”

Banco BHD, a leading commercial bank in the Dominican Republic and IFC investment bank provided an additional $10 million in co-financing for the expansion. “With this financing, BHD once again demonstrates its commitment to supporting the development of its corporate clients, while also partaking in the social and economic progress of the Punta Cana region and the country,” said Carmina Pellerano, Banco BHD Vice President of Corporate Banking, Large Corporations, and Multinationals.

IFC’s committed investment portfolio in the Dominican Republic is $183 million. Over the past 10 years, IFC’s investment in the Caribbean totaled $1.2 billion, including $268 million in syndications, for 61 projects. IFC is expanding operations in the Caribbean, with special focus on diversifying economies and strengthening private sector competitiveness to stimulate economic growth and job creation. Priority sectors are infrastructure, health, education, tourism, and the financial sector to promote access to finance for micro, small, and medium enterprises.

IFC is the only international financial institution focused exclusively on the private sector, the engine of sustainable development in emerging markets. Along with IBRD, it is currently seeking a capital increase to strengthen its ability to create opportunity for the poor in developing countries-including by supporting infrastructure projects in the Caribbean.

ORLANDO, Fla., PRNewswire.- Hard Rock International and Palace Resorts announced an agreement to bring the world’s first “ultimate all-inclusive” Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Slated to be re-branded in Spring 2010, the 1800-room Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana will combine the distinctive atmosphere and unparalleled guest experience of the Hard Rock brand together with the five-star Moon Palace Resort all-inclusive experience.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana’s expansive 121-acre property rests on Macao Beach, one of the most beautiful, palm tree-lined beaches in the Caribbean that overlooks perfectly clear blue waters on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic. The property will combine Hard Rock’s signature “Rock Star” suites with Moon Palace Resort’s signature all-inclusive luxury accommodations, including double Jacuzzis and double showers. The property will also feature an extensive collection of Hard Rock’s authentic music memorabilia, highlighting both international and local artists, as well as incorporating diverse music genres throughout.

“We’re eager to bring the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino brand to the Dominican Republic, and we look forward to establishing this property as a premier vacation and gaming destination in the Caribbean,” said Hamish Dodds, president and CEO, Hard Rock International. “Our collaboration with Palace Resorts and their track record of creating the best all-inclusive resorts in the Americas, we are confident this project will be a success.”

“We are very excited to develop the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana,” adds Roberto Chapur, President of Palace Resorts, owners of Moon Palace. “Hard Rock has brought excitement to many destinations throughout the world and we are thrilled that the brand has chosen the Dominican Republic for its next project. We look forward to working with Hard Rock to create the most exciting hotel and casino concept in the Caribbean.”

“Punta Cana is a world-class location and one of the Caribbean’s top travel destinations, and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana is a perfect complement to the region,” said Dominican Republic Minister of Tourism Francisco Javier Garcia. “I am confident that Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana will have a significant economic impact on our country’s growing tourism.”

Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos are ideally situated in destinations with unique character and appeal, and cater to the evolving and distinctive needs of today’s savvy traveler, who seeks a reprieve from traditional, predictable properties. Hard Rock properties offer stylish and contemporary design, unparalleled service and the thread that unites them all – music.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana will feature one of the largest casinos in the Caribbean with more than 48,000 square feet of gaming space. The casino plans to offer a high-limit poker room, a VIP lounge and a Race and Sports Book, in addition to 457 slots and 40 tables, where guests can try their hand at traditional Las Vegas-style gaming, including Baccarat, Black Jack, Craps and Roulette.

“As one of the world’s most successful gaming operators, we look forward to bringing the excitement of U.S.-style gaming and our industry expertise to the Dominican Republic,” said Jim Allen, Chairman, Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment. “Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana will quickly become the premier gaming destination in the Carribean.”

The property will be fully equipped to handle the largest events, from full-sized rock ‘n’ roll performances, to small, intimate occasions. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana will feature more than 65,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, equipped with state-of-the-art technology. For those looking to celebrate a rockin’ romance, the hotel will have numerous eye-catching locations throughout the resort, including three floating wedding pavilions.

Guests will be able to enjoy 11 expansive pools, four swim-up bars, a dedicated kids pool and a lazy river. The 15,000 square-foot Body Rock fitness center, the Xtreme Center’s rock climbing wall, two tennis courts, mini-golf, billiards, ping pong and various other table games will keep even the most active guests entertained. Hard Rock’s smallest guests will also have the benefit of a dedicated Kids Club offering daily activities and childcare services. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana’s guests will have access to an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course spread over 155 acres with 7,200 yards of amazing golf.

Retail outlets, including Hard Rock’s signature Rock Shop, a 1,200-seat amphitheater and the Caribbean’s most expansive spa, will round out the vacation experience. Hard Rock’s signature “Rock Spa” is an incredible 60,000 square-foot facility with 48 spa suites, including 11 total indoor and outdoor couples’ suites and two Golden VIP Suites, and one of the world’s most complete hydrotherapy circuits. Additional services include a Beauty Salon with kids’ salon services and a wedding suite.

The Oyster Review rated lodgings in Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Bávaro, Samana, Boca Chica, Santo Domingo, Sosua, Cabarete, La Romana, Playa Dorada among others, whereas most of the facilities are located in Punta Cana and La Romana, both in the eastern region.

The monitoring company doesn’t use the international “star” classification granted by the hoteliers themselves and instead conducts an independent review based on reports by guests, the media in each country and institutions and agencies linked to the sector.

The top 35 pearl classification by The Oyster Review went to Tortuga Bay Resort, in Punta Cana, and Palladium Palace, also in the Punta Cana-Bavaro area.

Sourse: DominicanToday.com