Dominican Republic with 5 nominations at World Travel Awards 2011

The Dominican Republic is showing its leadership as a Caribbean destination with five hotels nominated for the World Travel Awards 2011 in the categories of Ecological Hotels, Boutique Hotels, Best All- Inclusive Resort and Resort Casino Leader in the Caribbean.

This year, Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort & Private Island will play host to the World Travel Awards Americas & Caribbean gala ceremony on October 7.

The ceremony, hailed as the "Oscars of the travel industry" by the global media, is set to attract the top decision-makers and thought leaders from across the Americas and Caribbean as they compete for the most influential accolades in travel.

The Grand Final Gala Ceremony is scheduled for November 29 in Doha, Qatar.

The nominees are the Puntacana Resort & Club, for the third consecutive year, as a Caribbean Green Hotel; the Catalonia Bavaro Resort Punta Cana, as the Caribbean’s Leading Boutique Resort; the Barceló Bavaro Beach Resort, as the Caribbean Leader in Casino Resort; the Club Med Punta Cana, as the Best Caribbean Family Resort; and the Sivory Punta Cana as the Leader in Caribbean Resorts.

The Dominican Republic has also been nominated as Leading Cruise Destination and as Leader of Sports Tourism in the Caribbean.

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Source: Dominican Today

Dominican Republic 1,098 kilos cocaine bust year's biggest

The National Drugs Control Agency (DNCD) last night seized 333 packages of cocaine, weighing approximately 336 kilos that would be sent to France via the Caucedo Multimodal Port, camouflaged in medical equipment, said the drug agency.

According to the report released by DNCD chief Rolando Rosado, this is the biggest drug bust in Dominican Republic this year.

Rosado said the drug found in the marine terminal would be out of the country in a container shipped by a company with headquarters in La Romana.

The container where the drug was distributed on nine suitcases has the number SUDU7522562 and would be mounted on the motor vessel Columba to be shipped to the port of Le Havre, France, a city in Upper Normandy.

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Source: Dominican Today

Family of student killed in Dominican Republic awarded $340,000

The family of a teen who died doing humanitarian work while on an internship in the Dominican Republic will receive more than $340,000 in damages.

François-Jacques Roussin was 18 and a student at Champlain-St-Lawrence College in Sainte Foy, Que. in 2004 when he started the internship with Plan Nagua as part of his studies.

He died when a wall collapsed during construction work at a school in the Dominican.

His parents originally sued the college, Plan Nagua and the Dominican group MOSCTHA for more than $700,000.

A Quebec Superior Court judge sided with the family Friday, saying Roussin was involved with the dangerous work due to mistakes made by the three organizations.

The court also stated the tragedy was foreseeable based on the state of the building.


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Source: CBC News

Sri Lanka tops value destinations, Dominican is Caribbean's cheapest

British holidaymakers may be struggling with poor euro exchange rates but some long-haul destinations are proving financially attractive, according to a survey.

Sri Lanka has emerged as a clear winner in a holiday cost-of-living index of long-haul spots compiled by Post Office Travel Money.

For a basket of 10 categories including a meal out, drinks and sun cream, Sri Lanka was 38% cheaper than its nearest rival, Thailand.

Vietnam, now welcoming an increasing number of UK visitors, was the third least expensive country in the list, with Hong Kong the most expensive overall and China showing the biggest price rise over the last year.

Prices in South Africa have tumbled 27%, with the country now more tourist-friendly financially following the price hikes during the 2010 World Cup. Barbados was the most expensive Caribbean destination, with the Dominican Republic the cheapest.

Post Office Travel Money head Sarah Munro said: "Things are looking up for hard-pressed holidaymakers. After a summer when the weak UK pound bought less holiday cash in Europe, tourists heading further afield for winter sun can look forward to seeing their pounds stretch further in most long-haul destinations.

"Resort prices have fallen in two-thirds of the countries we surveyed a year ago and, in addition, sterling has strengthened against 15 of 26 long-haul country currencies. For example, the UK pound will buy over 19% more Kenyan shillings than a year ago and is also stronger against Caribbean and Latin-American currencies. Holidaymakers visiting the USA, Dubai and Egypt will be quids in too."

In a separate survey, tour operator Hayes & Jarvis also revealed year-on-year falls at some long-haul resorts.

Packages in Brazil and Barbados have fallen the most, with particularly good deals to be had in Mexico where direct air links with the UK have strengthened recently.

The company's best-selling long-haul destination is the Maldives, followed by Thailand, but Egypt has yet to bounce back from political upheaval.

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Source: UKPA

Clinton to attend Dominican Republic regional event

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will next week visit the Dominican Republic for talks with her Canadian and Latin American counterparts about boosting economic growth in the hemisphere.

Clinton, US officials said, will travel Wednesday to Santo Domingo to join ministers and others from the western hemisphere -- though not Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela -- at the fourth "Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas" event.

"This is a high-level meeting of government officials, policy makers, business leaders, academics and representatives from international organizations from across the Americas who will share best practices in order to promote an inclusive economic area and growth and prosperity throughout the hemisphere," Clinton spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.

Pathways to Prosperity country partners are Western Hemisphere countries "committed to democracy and open markets," the State Department said.

Current participants are Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and the United States.

It said the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean are "also partners in this initiative to promote inclusive growth, prosperity, and social justice."

During a Pathways to Prosperity meeting in Costa Rica in March 2010, Clinton pledged to back female entrepreneurs, promote small business and modernize customs procedures as part of US efforts to boost regional prosperity.

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Source: AFP

Sussex Tech Cultural Club delivers goods to the Dominican Republic

The Spanish Cultural Club at Sussex County Technical School has been traveling to the Dominican Republic since 2004 to deliver clothing, medicine, school supplies, and personal hygiene products to that country’s needy population.

For the last four years the Sussex Women’s Club has been collecting donations for the Club’s excursions to the Dominican. The Sussex Women’s Club is a local branch of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs.

In years past they have donated sewing items, clothing, toiletries, and suitcases for transporting the donations. This year they collected flip flops, fabric, and embroidery supplies. The Sussex Women’s Club has also recruited the Vernon and Newton branches to participate.

Rosemary Fuchs serves as the liaison between the Spanish Cultural Club and the Women’s Clubs. Fuchs is a secretary at Sussex Tech and also a member of the Sussex Women’s Club. When she learned about the trips she immediately recognized this was a worthy activity in which her club should be involved.

The mission of women’s clubs is to make a difference in people’s lives through volunteering. Their efforts in helping with the Dominican trip is only a small part of the club’s efforts throughout the year.

They hope that of the Women’s club members will join them in the Dominican soon, which might perhaps lead to founding the first Women’s Club in that country.


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Source: Straus News

Dominican Republic native marks her 100th birthday

Ana Mercedes Hassell Stephens of Newburgh is celebrating her 100th birthday today.

She was born in the Dominican Republic on Oct. 1, 1911, to Albertha Stephens and Joseph Hassell.

She was the youngest of 14 children and the last of her siblings to come to the United States at the age of 39. She met Rafael Torres and conceived her only child, Berta Torres. Berta married Richard West and gave Ana two grandchildren, Danielle and Matthew.

"She has instilled in her family a sense of independence and pride, and continues to live a long and joyful life," said Danielle West. "Happy 100th birthday, abuelita, we love you always and we celebrate you."

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Source: Record Online