SANTO DOMINGO.- Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia is convinced that Dominican tourism will surface unscathed from the global financial crisis, as he said has occurred in other occasions. 

Yesterday the official said his arguments aren’t just based on optimism, citing that the industry’s growth until November was 2 percent. 

He also spoke of his plans to improve the environs of the resort regions. 

"Tourism is infallible to the great crises because it has withstood all of them," he said, adding that despite the global financial crisis’ impact on the tourist business, Dominican Republic’s industry grew from January to November, compared with the same period last year. 

Garcia said the tourist activity in general has been able to withstand five crises: the United States real estate problems, the jump in oil prices, the fall in food production, and the difficulties in the financial and equity markets. 

He said the number of tourists from the United States - the financial fiasco’s epicenter and simultaneously the country’s main market, grew 1.61 percent this year. 

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http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/18/30470/Dominican-tourism-will-escape-the-crisis-again-top-official-says