Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone to Get a $30 Million Facelift

The Dominican Republic’s Tourism Ministry and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) presented Thursday a $30 million development program for the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, aimed at conserving the historic center of the new world’s first European city and re-launch Santo Domingo as one of Latin America’s and the Caribbean’s top tourist destinations.

Over $22 million of the program will improve streets, plazas and other public spaces, underground power lines and surveillance as well as restore the Zone’s attractions including the Fortaleza Ozama, Las Casas Reales, La Atarazana, the Alcazar de Colon, the Ruinas de San Francisco and redesign and implement theme tourism routes.

Moreover, $3.6 million would be allocated for a local integration plan for tourism development, including the training of human resources.