Dominican Republic Protects Tourism from Outbreak

(Dive Travel Business News - October 28, 2010) -- As the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the cholera epidemic in Haiti -with more than 292 deaths and 4,147 infected- still hasn’t reached its peak, Dominican authorities extend its "sanitary loop" to the country’s east and north tourism regions, where most of the tourism industry is based.

On Wednesday Health minister Bautista Rojas and other Government officials implemented a sanitary response to keep the epidemic from affecting the tourism regions.

Julio Llibre, head of the hoteliers and tourism businesses grouped in Asonahores yesterday urged stricter controls at the border to keep the disease out of the country. He said it’s necessary to keep the epidemic from threatening Dominican tourism’s stability and sustainability at all costs.

“We would really want that the announced control at the border be just a bit stricter, because I understand it is required, the creation of a sanitary loop along the entire border is needed, which at least prevents travel by people who can be infected."

Llibre said there’s fortunately no information on outbreaks or threats that disease is in Dominican territory and confirmed that cancellations of hotel reservations have yet to take place, adding that they don’t expect that to occur either.