Tourism and infrastructure developments reported in Punta Cana and Anzoátegui

In the Dominican Republic, Ernesto Veloz, president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism Projects of the East (Asoleste), revealed that several planned road infrastructure projects for the Verón-Punta Cana area were never completed. Proposed designs included a trumpet-style interchange at the Punta Cana entrance, a box culvert near Almacenes Unidos to allow traffic to pass under Boulevard Frank Rainieri, and various overpasses in Friusa, Coco Loco, and Macao. Veloz noted that one excavation for a culvert was filled back in after a private sector partner withdrew funding, leading the Ministry to cancel the project.

In Venezuela, the hotel sector in Anzoátegui has seen a 15% increase in demand, driven by international oil investors arriving for petroleum exploitation. Dianne Serrano Ávila, executive director of the Association of Hotels of Anzoátegui (Ahotanz), noted that many corporate guests are transitioning to long-term residential accommodations. However, she highlighted that service instability, including eight-hour power outages and lack of Wi-Fi, threatens the region's ability to attract international tourists. She also called for an official census of lodging capacity to provide certainty to travelers.