The impact of tourism in rural coastal areas of the Dominican Republic

Tourism is one of the few income opportunities for coastal communities in the Dominican Republic. In an extensive field research, Yolanda León has investigated people's perspectives with regard to tourism. She found that most of the people in rural coastal areas consider tourism as an important factor for development.

However, many of them are also concerned about the negative impacts, summarized as "corruption", which include prostitution, crime, drug trafficking, etc., as well as restrictions on the construction of houses or lack of access to certain areas. The interviews also reflect the important role of the informal sector and the limited, yet existing opportunities for women. The author makes recommendations, emphasizing the need to regulate the informal sector in a fair manner, to improve the image of the police, to fight prostitution, to protect the environment and to support small scale entrepreneurs.

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