Marine Tourism Alliance: Enhancing Tourism Competitiveness in the Dominican Republic
The tourism industry in the Dominican Republic (DR) is dependent on clean beaches, pristine water and healthy coral reefs, which protect the coast from erosion and are a target for the potential market of 20 million scuba divers and many more skin divers per year. However, the reefs of the DR are currently severely impacted by human activities, a number of which can be attributed to the thriving tourism industry.
A major goal of the country is to improve business competitiveness and establish the DR as tourism centre of the Caribbean and Central America by 2010. In light of this goal, and the recognised need to prevent further damage to DR reefs through education and management, ICRAN is working alongside the Reef Check Foundation with funding from the US Agency for International Development and the United Nations Foundation, to engage local partners and increase tourism revenue as a sustainable financing mechanism for coral reef conservation.
The Marine Tourism Alliance aims to transform the interaction between tourists and hotels into an enjoyable educational experience that leads to better conservation of coral reefs. The Alliance brings together partners with extensive experience in their fields to market new products and services that are attractive to most tourist visitors on the island.
A programme has been established to deliver training and knowledge about coral reefs and provide opportunities for participation in the Reef Check global coral reef monitoring activities. In this manner, tourists are becoming part of the conservation solution in the DR, and generated funds are being utilised to ensure that local citizens can also participate in Reef Check activities, and monitoring and management activities.
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Reef Check Dominican Republic and the co-management of La Caleta National Underwater Park
"…our process of obtaining co-management of La Caleta National Underwater Park is almost complete"
Following months of discussions with the sub ministry of protected areas in the Dominican Republic, RCDR will shortly sign an official notification of co-management of La Caleta National Underwater Park.
RCDR staff and Board of Directors are very enthusiastic about this outcome. La Caleta is a small Marine Protected Area (MPA) near the city, which until now has just been a 'paper park'. The area is frequently used by both divers and fishermen, but the MPA is small enough that fishermen will not have to go far to fish outside the park and benefit from the MPA. RCDR is also working with the environmental police to support the better management of the MPA. If all goes to plan, La Caleta will be a model MPA within just a few years.
This is a major success that is a result of support from RCHQ-USAID-UNF-ICRAN and international and local partners. |
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The British Embassy in Santo Domingo Supports Coral Reef Conservation Efforts in the Dominican Republic
Through it's Bilateral Project Budget the British Embassy in Santo Domingo has signed a co-operation agreement for the conservation of the coral reefs of La Caleta National Park, implemented by Reef Check Dominican Republic and the Ministry of Environment.
This agreement is part of the Embassies 2008 objectives to achieve climate security by promoting a faster transition to a sustainable, low carbon global economy and to support Dominican efforts on Climate Change, especially carbon reduction. With this agreement Reef Check will install a Buoy system in La Caleta dive sites, preventing the destruction of the reef due to the use of boat anchors. Demarcation buoys will delimit the MPA boundaries facilitating the protection and restoration of these important ecosystems that are being greatly affected by climate change. The British Embassy and Reef Check are working together to solve local problems with global consequences.
The installation process is expected to happen March/April 2008 |
More information is available from: www.reefcheck.org | 
