Dominican Republic: Calling the plan å“absurdå”, The National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores) rejected yesterday the plans laid out by the city government of Santo Domingo, which would convert the Malecon (George Washington Avenue) into a Sunday walkway as of January. The Listin Diario interviewed the executive director of ASONAHORES, Paola Dimitri, who, along with Roberto Grisi of the Jaragua and Marleny Hernandez of the Inter-Continental V Centenario, questioned the logic of the proposal.

Not all of the hotels have easy access by way of Independencia Avenue, and the most affected businesses, the restaurants, have not been consulted, they say. The Mayor of Santo Domingo, Roberto Salcedo, says that the municipalityå‘s proposals are å“flexibleå”, however, Dimitri suggests that the government might better serve a revival of the area by recovering the social areas of the avenue, along with a renewed effort to improve the gardens in park areas along the Malecon.

Not all of the hotels have easy access by way of Independencia Avenue, and the most affected businesses, the restaurants, have not been consulted, they say. The Mayor of Santo Domingo, Roberto Salcedo, says that the municipality’s proposals are “flexible”, however, Dimitri suggests that the government might better serve a revival of the area by recovering the social areas of the avenue, along with a renewed effort to improve the gardens in park areas along the Malecon.

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