Country Where People Work Hard and Enjoy Life

Ambassador Hector Galvan of the Dominican Republic contributed the following article to The Korea Times on the occasion of the Dominican National Day, which falls on today.

The Korean delegation that accompanied me to my country in December 2005 stated that the Dominican Republic is a wonderful country.

The same account was asserted by a waiter in Barcelona, five years ago, who claims that each and every year, he spends his vacation in Punta Cana, one of the most spectacular tourist destinations of the country's eastern region, and where it's possible to fly directly from all major European cities.

The Dominican people are the result of a wonderful racial and cultural blend.

It is a symbiosis of the indigenous culture and the Spaniards, whom were captivated by the island's beauty since they first set foot in 1492, together with our African heritage, generating an enchanting ethnic multiplicity.

But one of the most interesting features of the inhabitants of this island ― located in the heart of the Caribbean ― is their affability and friendliness, which was evidenced during the holding of this year's Caribbean baseball series, in the city of Santiago (second largest in the country) where all the visitors showed enormous satisfaction due to the charming and pleasant treatment offered to them by all Dominicans.

That explains why around 4.5 million tourists visited the country in 2007, why the hotel room occupation rate is around 72 percent and why it's the main tourist destination in the Caribbean.

Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors, generating large amounts of foreign currency and a significant source of income for its population.

This is why the Dominican Republic is one of the few places in the world where you can work and enjoy life at the same time, not only due to the country's hospitality, but also due to the all-year-round gentle climate, the natural beauty of its beaches, mountains and valleys, the extraordinary golf courses, and also thanks to the great deal of opportunities and favorable business conditions.

As President Leonel Fernandez has stated, ``The Dominican Republic offers an incomparable climate, historic and cultural interests in each and every one of its towns and cities, competitive prices, together with physical and legal security.''

With its 12 ports and five international airports, the country is trying to become the Caribbean's business and logistics hub following the vision of its actual President, Leonel Fernandez.

With top of the line communication's infrastructure and its privileged geographical location, the Dominican Republic is the main commercial partner of Florida state.

Since 2006, South Korea has become the second largest destination for Dominican exports, with ferronickel being the main item.

For many years, numerous Korean entrepreneurs have invested in textiles in the Dominican Republic.

And while they work during the week, their wives play golf all year round, due to incomparable low costs and constant good weather.

In the country, it is easy and feasible to invest in tourism by developing new projects, such as convention tourism, real state, eco-tourism, or even ``aesthetic tourism'' for those interested in low cost plastic surgery.

In this regard, the legal framework offers a great deal of incentives and protection for this kind of investment.

Also, there are unlimited benefits within the technology sector, due to President Fernandez' decision to support the area and the establishment of a ``Cyber Park,'' a specialized free zone for production, assembly and/or development, which provides many incentives for enterprises willing to invest in the fields of electronics and information technology.

We also have a technological institute for the training and preparation of required human resources, as well as the Free Zone Associations and Council, to provide support, counseling and guidance for enterprises who wish to become part of the dynamics (www.cnzf.gov.do & www.adozona.org).

The Dominican Republic has also signed free trade agreements with the United States, Central American countries and the Caribbean island nations, it also has ongoing negotiations with the European Union toward a preferential trade status.

Our country is the leader in the region due to the diversity of production and the high standards of its tourism industry.

Biotechnology is one of President Fernandez' priorities and is one of the sectors where investment is very viable. Agriculture is one of the main components of the country's production.

The country's production of organic bananas, cigars, rum, coffee and cocoa are rated within the best in the global scale.

Thus, the local agricultural market can serve as the strategic platform, due to geographical advantages, for developing biotechnological initiatives and generating products that can easily reach regional markets, such as the Asian communities in the United States.

Our population is constantly growing, hence causing a housing deficit. Any kind of investment in construction would be highly profitable.

There are 1 million Dominicans that live in the United States as well, and a large majority of those Dominicans wish to acquire a house or an apartment in the country.

Highways, avenues, roads, bridges and hydraulic works have to be expanded and reconstructed; consequently the government is very interested in receiving and protecting foreign investment.

The first subway line is almost completed, but investment is needed to integrate other lines.

The Dominican Republic is a fortunate country. We have more than 200 major league baseball players.

Some of the most recognized hitters and pitchers, such as Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, Pedro Martinez and Bartolo Colon, among others.

In this regard, our government is interested in developing more stadiums and camps in order to promote and professionalize the sport, as well as to provide ample support to youngsters with international potential.

This is another excellent investment opportunity.

The Center for Export and Investment of the Dominican Republic (www.cei-rd.gov.do) was created to provide guidance and assistance to potential investors.

Nevertheless, the National Council for Market Competitiveness was recently created, backed up by a legal structure, which allows industries to benefit more from international markets.

Regarding my three-year tenure as head of the Dominican mission to Seoul, we can state that bilateral relations between our countries have never been as active and optimal.

We have concluded around 12 cooperation agreements in areas such as e-government, e-learning, financial and investment protection agreements, technology, trade, biotechnology, among others.

It is important to note that during last year's atmospheric phenomena, which severely affected the Dominican Republic, the Korean government had a generous direct cooperation gesture, which has been greatly appreciated by the Dominican people.

With the new administration under President Lee Myung-bak, and new Minister of Foreign Affairs Yu Myung-hwan, who received President Fernandez when he visited South Korea in 2006, we are pretty sure that the relations between Korea and the Dominican Republic will continue to strengthen.

And we hope that if they visit Latin America, including the Dominican Republic, they will always find warm hearts.