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Tourism in the Dominican Republic is an industry that generates over 5 million arrivals each year. It is an important source of revenue in the country, particularly in coastal areas. The Dominican Republic is the most visited tourist destination in the Caribbean region, and ranks 6th overall in the Americas. It's tropical climate, white sand beaches, diverse mountainous landscape, and colonial history attracts visitors from around the world. As one of the most geographically diverse nations in the region, the Dominican Republic is home to the Caribbean's tallest mountain peak, Pico Duarte, as well as the largest lake and lowest elevation, Lake Enriquillo. The country is also the site of the first cathedral, castle, monastery, and fortress built in all of the Americas, located in Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone, an area declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.〔(Colonial City of Santo Domingo – UNESCO World Heritage Centre ). Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved on April 2, 2014.〕〔(UNESCO around the World | República Dominicana ). Unesco.org (November 14, 1957). Retrieved on 2014-04-02.〕 == History of Tourism in the Dominican Republic == Tourism in the Dominican Republic came very slowly until 1930, due to the political strife and internal warfare that has been present throughout most of the country's history. When the dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo came into power, it can be said that tourism in the country began to take another direction, although during the 1930s it was relatively weak; 230 foreign tourists arrived in the country in 1930, perhaps the only recorded tourism statistics in the country, during that time. During the 1940s, Trujillo instructed to foster tourism in the country, thus beginning to promote tourism in the country to other countries, this being the first concrete step to attract tourists to the country. In 1944 ''Malecón de Santo Domingo'' was inaugurated, together with the first luxury hotel in the city, the Hotel Jaragua, which remains open. After this step, new hotel chains were opened, to increase tourism in the city; in the 1950s several hotels were opened, including the Hotel Provincial, which is now a children's hospital; the Hotel la Paz, which is still open, although that is now known as Hotel Hispaniola, which was built a few meters from the city and also, in the Colonial Zone, Hotel Comercial, the first hotel of private capital in the country; the Colonial Zone was fitted out as a site for tourism. One of the hotels built in that decade was the Hotel El Embajador. Large hotels were also built in the countryside at that time. In the city of Santiago de los Caballeros, the Hotel Matún was built for tourists. In the city of Barahona, the Hotel Guarocuya was built. Shortly afterwards, the Hotel Maguana was built in San Juan de la Maguana. The Hotel San Cristóbal was built in the province of the same name. In the cities of Jarabacoa and Constanza, both in the Province of La Vega the hotels Montaña and Suiza, respectively, were inaugurated. In Samaná Province the Hotel Cayacoa was built. Several hotels were built in the Northwest Line of the country, such as the Hotel Caoba in the city of Santa Cruz de Mao, where it was built the Hotel Caoba, located in the Province Valverde and in Santiago Rodríguez Province, where the Hotel Marien was built. Hotels were also built in the east of the country, which has become the country's main tourist destinatio. This started in the San Pedro de Macorís Province, where the Hotel Macorí was built, while in Boca Chica the Hotel Hamaca was built around the beach; in Higüey the Hotel El Barajo was built and in El Seibo built the Hotel Santa Cruz was built. At that time, there were more than 1,000 hotel rooms in the country. This advanced the country's tourism industry. In 1955 Trujillo, carried out the "Fair of Peace and Fraternity of the Free World", which was an international event held in Ciudad Trujillo, now Santo Domingo; with this event, Trujillo sought to show its great progress in physical buildings and show to the world that the Dominican Republic had a society of peace and brotherhood. This fair was extended until 1958. The invasion of Constanza, Maimón and Estero Hondo, which occurs in 1959, also the crime of Mirabal Sisters in 1960, and the death of Trujillo in 1961, caused many foreign tourists come to visit and to make their investments in the country. Political instability and social unrest which culminated in the civil war of 1965 and the subsequent military occupation by US Marines negatively affected the tourism industry. For this reason and others, it was not until 1966, when Dr. Joaquín Balaguer, who ruled the country until 1978, was elected, that the necessary economic policies to aid the tourism sector were carried out. During this period tourism increased in the country. In 1968, legislation declared tourism development to be of national interest. In 1969, the National Tourism Bureau was created, which later passed to the Ministry of Tourism (''Secretaría de Estado de Turismo''). In 1971, the law 153, which spoke of incentives and the promotion to tourism in the country, was promulgated. In 1972 INFRATUR, a financial institution for the development of tourism infrastructure, was created. These events served as a basis for tourism to have a starting point which would then lead to further development. Experts on the subject state that from the decade of the 1970s onwards was the period of development of tourism in the Dominican Republic. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tourism in the Dominican Republic」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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