Santo Domingo._ Listin Diaro reports that Brugal sales last year were 3.4 million boxes, up 8% over the previous year. Brugal has an unprecedented 80% of the domestic rum market. Franklin Baez Brugal, spokesman for the company, said that the company will export some 340,000 boxes of rum in 2002, or approximately 10% of their production. He explained their main markets are in Spain and Italy.

Bridgetown._ Authorities in Barbados will set aside $300,000 to foster tourism in some of the Caribbean island’s rural areas. Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch asserted that after a heated debate at the country’s General Assembly, the commencement of building projects for the localities of St. Joseph, St. Thomas, St. John –north of the capital- and Bridgetown itself finally won passage.

Berlin._ New York City presented itself at the Berlin Tourism Exchange (ITB) as a burg now recovering its strength and attractiveness after the 9-11 syndrome, clearly reflected in a 15% plunge in the number of visitors during the year 2001. According to some statistics disclosed at the ITB by the New York Desk of Conventions, Visitors, Great Events and Promotions, “tourism is pulling around a whole lot faster than expected.”

Santo Domingo._ Governor of the Central Bank Frank Guerrero Prats said at the American Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon that the Dominican economy has grown 5% in the first two months of the year. He attributed the growth to the recovery of the manufacturing sector, as reported in El Caribe newspaper. Mr. Guerrero forecasted that the year´s end growth for 2002 is estimated to be 4%, so the economy is right on target.

Caracas._ As the Euro has become Europe’s currency for the 21st century, France’s overseas territories in the Caribbean –like Guadeloupe and St. Martin- and Dutch-owned Aruba, Curazao, Bonaire and St. Marteen, have also become exclusive circulation areas for the newly-come Euro. In this sense, travelers moving to these islands must scrap the old habit of buying Dutch florins and French francs for tourism purposes and purchase the European unified currency, instead.

Tegucigalpa._ Honduras is on a quest to garner $650 million through tourism in the next four years and buttress this activity as a fast-growing industry, said Minister of Tourism Thierrie de Pierrefeu. Mr. Pierrefeu added that the projected goal is to upend the $256 million worth of revenues in 2001 and reach $650 million in the year 2005.