Dominican Republic News

News:

• New Casino Opens on DR’s East Coast
• Jet Blue Adds Service to Santo Domingo
• Samana-Santo Domingo Highway Update
• Tourist Highway Almost Finished
• American Airlines Offers New Service from Santo Domingo to Fort Lauderdale
• Captain Kidd's 1699 Sunken Ship Found Untouched Off the DR’s East Coast

·         Airline and Hotel Group Agree on Caribbean Venture

New Casino Opens on DR’s East Coast

Recently opened in the area of Bayahibe/La Romana, the new Casino Dominicus features Las Vegas odds and what executives claim will be the DR’s highest bet limits. Additionally, Casino Dominicus boasts the country’s only casino with an exclusive players club and a loyalty reward program for frequent gaming. For more information visit, www.casinodominicus.com.

Jet Blue Adds Service to Santo Domingo

JetBlue recently announced new service from Orlando International Airport to Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo. Flights are set to begin on March 6. For additional information, visit www.jetblue.com.

Samana-Santo Domingo Highway Update

Construction has begun for the second phase of the highway between Santo Domingo and Samana. The 77-mile route covers the roadway between Nagua, Sanchez and Samana and will also include a highway to Las Terrenas and El Catey International Airport, costing approximately US $103 million. Once completed, the road will cut traveling time between Santo Domingo and Samana by more than half.

American Airlines Offers New Service from Santo Domingo to Fort Lauderdale

Travelers seeking to avoid delays at the congested Miami International Airport now have the option of a Santo-Domingo-Fort Lauderdale connection. Daily flights from American Airlines began December 13, with daily flights departing Santo Domingo at 11:10am and arriving at Fort Lauderdale 12:35pm. The return flight departs Fort Lauderdale at 6:55am arrives in Santo Domingo at 10:05am. For more information, visit www.aa.com

Captain Kidd's 1699 Sunken Ship Found Untouched Off the DR’s East Coast

Discovered by local DR resident, the pristine shipwreck of pirate Captain Kidd's Quedagh Merchant lays 10 feet underwater and only 70 feet from the shores of Catalina Island.  Lost off the DR’s East coast in 1699, the discovery is among only a handful of pirate shipwrecks found in the Americas and will be turned into an underwater public preserve. Experts are amazed no one looted the area, given its close location to shore.

Airline and Hotel Group Agree on Caribbean Venture

Transat A.T. Inc., owner of Canadian charter carrier Air Transat, will invest $55 million in a joint venture with Barcelona-based Corporacion H10 Hotels SL to operate multiple hotels in the DR. Transat expects to add a hotel approximately every 18 months. According to Transat, the joint venture will operate five beachfront resorts in Punta Cana, DR, totaling more than 1,600 rooms. About 500 of the rooms will be allocated to Transat customers. For additional information visit, www.transat.com

# # #