Tourism Calls for HIV/AIDS Prevention Plans

The need for more plans to prevent the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the tourist sector worldwide, was one of the claims voiced in an international conference recently held in the Dominican Republic with the attendance of experts from several countries.

The Dominican Republic, one of the heavyweight travel destinations in the Caribbean, ought to step up its own HIV/AIDS prevention programs, said Ernesto Guerrero, an advisor with the United Nations Program for Santo Domingo.

In keeping with stats disclosed during the framework of this event entitled "The Caribbean: Several Languages and Many Cultures Together in the Battle against AIDS," the Dominican Republic and Haiti combine for 85 percent of the total amount of AIDS cases registered in this region of the world.

In assessing the socioeconomic impact of AIDS in the Dominican travel industry, Doctor Magdalena Rathe warned the risks of AIDS infection in the national territory could make quite a dent in the country´s ability to collect hard-currency money.

Dr. Rathe noted that a revamping of the strategy for the promotion and advertisement of the local tourism brooks no further delay and labeled the sector´s rejection of AIDS campaigns as a "blunder."

In this sense, Dr. Rathe suggested to step up information efforts about the disease, to dole out more condoms, to conduct more polls and launch out stronger campaigns in order to stave off the breakneck pace of an epidemic that has already infected half a million people in the Caribbean.

The United States, one of the Dominican Republic´s premier tourist senders, announced the implementation of an emergency plan for $15 million to fight AIDS. Experts, though, believe this figure is just "a blip in the graph" compared to the lump sums of money required to assist those who have already come down with the disease.

The increase of sexual tourism, the smuggling of women toward Europe and migratory outflows of people looking for a better life are some of the common elements responsible for the ongoing AIDS flare-up in the Caribbean.