Executives of the Tourism and Productive Cluster of the Province of Barahona proposed to prioritize the construction of an elevated highway on Isabel Aguiar and 27 de Febrero Avenue, which would represent a significant contribution to the development of tourism in the Southwest region, as well as the completion of the bypasses of Baní and Azua.
Also the continuation of the Barahona-Pedernales highway and the completion of the Monte Grande dam.
Virgilio Pérez-Bernal, president of the entity, and Elena Nunziatini, said that 97% of the tourists arriving in the province of Barahona do so by land, which makes it necessary to build the infrastructures that “bring the South closer”:
“It is urgent to start the construction of an elevated road on Isabel Aguiar with 27 de Febrero Avenue, due to the fact that in that stretch more than half an hour can be lost in traffic congestion. In addition, it is necessary to accelerate the works to finish the construction of the bypasses of Baní and Azua, as well as the continuation of the Barahona-Pedernales highway and the completion of the Monte Grande dam”, they said.
They assured that the tourism clusters belonging to the Southwest have been preparing for years to work jointly with the Ministries of Tourism (Mitur) and of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPyD), which has implied the preparation of a project which has the reference of a study prepared by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and thus create a new project which has been denominated “Tourism Corridor of the Southwest Region”.
“In the Tourism and Productive Cluster of the Province of Barahona we appreciate and support all the initiatives that President Luis Abinader is doing for the development of Pedernales, because Barahona is going to benefit from that development due to the fact that it will be the place from where all the needs or a great part of the needs of that destination will be supplied,” said Perez-Bernal.
He valued as important that Boeing and Fast Technologies Solucions intend to build new facilities to offer major maintenance, repair and overhaul to commercial and private aircraft, as well as a technical and aeronautical training center, because from there more investments can be made.
The representatives indicated that the initiative aims to launch a new market segment more appropriate for the region, because it is not focused on “sun and beach tourism”, due to its geographic composition and the diversity of its natural and cultural resources.
Also, they said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they are now promoting more what the market is looking for, which is small hotels, which attracts a tourist with higher purchasing power and with greater environmental and social awareness.
They explained that the destination has 800 tourist rooms, distributed in about 30 hotels, and the completion of the Perla del Sur project is expected, “which would be a great contribution”, according to today.
