Punta Cana - A Dominican Paradise

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Punta Cana - A Dominican Paradise
The Punta Cana of today is a far cry to what it was forty years ago - forty years ago it was not considered as a top beach destination.

This transition began when, in 1969, a group of American investors bought 30 square miles of undeveloped Dominican territory straddling 5 miles of the nation's east coast. At the time, this land was no more than thick, forbidding jungle without any access roads; the only signs of human life were a few fishing villages along the coast. The investors saw that they can transform this place into a classy beach destination for the world to discover.

The investors changed the name of the place from Punta Borrachon ('Drunken Point') to Punta Cana, named after a well-known hotel. Travelers across the world rave about the beauty of Punta Cana. Dominican fashion designer Oscar de la Renta and international music artist Julio Iglesias were among the famous early guests and investors.

In 1971 the first hotel, with room for 40 guests and 10 cabins, was built within Punta Cana itself. During that time, you can only go to Punta Cana using small planes. The initiative got seen and investors started developing this paradise.

In 1982, after years of negotiation and going back and forth, the Dominican government gave permission to the owners of the Punta Cana Resort to build a real airport, so that bigger planes could land. After Two years, the airport becomes operational. It opened Punta Cana to the world - in fact, the number of visitors grew from 3000 to 2.4 million visitors per year. Many of the visitors have been coming back for years to experience this unbelievable beach holiday paradise that everyone is raving about. You can choose from more than 60 hotels across 50 km of coast.

Tourism has transformed the once poor region into a bustling economy packed with business that is there to cater to tourists. To give you an idea of how prosperous Punta Cana is, 25 percent of the country's GDP is made from it. No one would have thought that this little place would be so crucial for the whole country.