The Casino Junket Club, an Atlanta-based casino tour operator, will be hosting the 1st Annual Mel Haskins Golf Memorial Tournament to benefit the Hospice of Central Georgia during their 4 night event July 27th-31st.

JetBlue has announced plans to take off from Boston Logan to Santo Domingo as of 19 June. The airline will run three weekly flights to Boston on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Depending on how the flight goes, the airline could continue it year round. JetBlue feels the route will be especially attractive to Boston airport travelers in the cold winter months, and hopes the flight can be carried out daily in the winter. 

The Dominican Republic drew a total of 1,780,234 visitors by air in the first quarter of 2011, representing a growth of 5.24% over the same period of 2010 and the best performance of the last three years for that period. In April alone non-resident visits were 330,697, representing a growth of 14.02% over the same month in 2010, registering 46,488 additional visitors, while non-resident Dominicans reached a growth of 14.34%, increasing by 5,014 more visitors. 

Despite the economic woes among the major international markets, Dominican Republic’s tourism industry 2010 and start of 2011 with encouraging signals including a 3.1% growth last year and a positive tendency that has continued in the first quarter this year, as evidenced by a climb of 3.3% in the arrival of foreigners by air.

The Dominican Republic was included in Travelocity's list of Top Ten Summer Family Destinations released on 13 May to coincide with Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer travel in the US. The website says the preference is for families to travel to beach destinations in the US and the Caribbean. The DR is listed in 10th place.

This summer, 2011, 28 golf courses will be in operation in the Dominican Republic. This total includes five 9-hole golf courses, two courses operating with nine holes but expanding to 18 holes within the next few months, and three 27-hole golf courses and eighteen 18-hole golf courses. The golf courses are located in the eastern half of the country.

Dutch airline KLM has announced the start of flights to the Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) from Amsterdam as of October. The airline says the flight is an alternative for travelers who don't want to fly KLM to the DR via the USA.

Memorial Day Weekend 2011, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana will be hosting the Fusion Music Festival. The festival will bring together world renowned DJ's for 4 days of beach parties, dancing and fun in the sun.

Santo Domingo.– Punta Cana is among the winners of the 2011 Travelers' Choice® Beaches awards announced by TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site.

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic -- Adjacent to the condo-hotel residences at The Blue Green Club, The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana will host Celebrities for Haiti on April 29, 2011, a celebrity-studded fundraising event to help the rebuilding efforts in Haiti. Renowned celebrities and sports figures including actress Heather Graham, World Series of Poker winner Phil Hellmuth, Yankee great Daryl Strawberry and more will gather for festivities including chef prepared dinner, golf tournament, celebrity poker tournament, exhilarating concerts, baseball games, after parties and more! All proceeds benefit various charities.

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic / www.hardrockhotelpuntacana.com / -- Grammy award-winning, Oscar-nominated group Survivor is coming to concert in the Dominican Republic, April 27, 2011, at The Blue Green Club's neighbor, The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana.

As of July 13, 2007 was adopted the law on special incentives 171-07 Pensioners and Rentistas foreign source. This law seeks to facilitate the flow of investments into the country. Giving people who are interested in retiring in the Dominican Republic legally advantageous for these facilities. Who can access: Foreign citizens who are beneficiaries of a monthly income for a pension or retirement of a government or government agency or private company of foreign origin, who are interested in moving to the country his permanent home and receive the benefits of their pension or retirement in the Dominican Republic.

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Hard Rock International makes a splash in the Caribbean and rolls out the red carpet to celebrate the grand opening of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, located in the Dominican Republic on Jan. 29, 2011. The lush, 121-acre property located on Macao Beach is Hard Rock's first all-inclusive Hotel & Casino and marks the brand's debut in the Caribbean.

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic / www.nicklaustravel.com/ -- The Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf: Coming in 2011, the Jack Nicklaus Golf Academy makes the Cana Bay Palace Golf Club one of the elite courses for golf instruction and learning. Special packages and programs provide golfers of various skill levels & immersive experience sure to improve your game. Not enough time for a complete golf academy experience? Instructors are available for individual lessons and special sessions that take advantage of the academy’s top-flight instruction and learning facilities.