Look at the images above.  Which do you think of when imagining yourself on a Carribean vacation?  A healthy natural environment is extremely important to successful tourism in the D.R.  Negative impacts of tourism, such as construction of roads, airports, hotels and golf courses, has the potential to destroy the very thing people go to visit.

 Dominican tourism has increased consistently  over the past ten years.  With more tourists  comes  the need for  more development.  This  very development,  if not done carefully, could destroy the fragile ecosystems the tourists have come to see, the rain forests, beaches and marine reserves.

     The three main impacts tourism has on an ecosystem are:

• Depletion of Natural Resources: water, local resources and land degradation
• Pollution: air pollution and noise,  solid waste and littering, and aesthetic pollution
• Physical Impacts: construction, deforestation, marina development and trampling

The Dominican Republic's ecosystems can find a balance with increasing tourism if new tourism is developed as sustainable tourism.  Setting up nature reserves around the hotels will not only protect the environment, but will allow a beautiful background for visitors. The Punta Cana Nature Reserve is a great example of how a hotel can help save the environment.

 Tourism can contribute to the conservation of lands by:

• Financial Contributions: direct financial contributions, contributions to government revenues
• Protection and Preservation
• Education: local and tourist
• Consistent Regulations
  

Other things that can help the Dominican ecosystem would be to reforest forest lands and to reuse wastewater to irrigate the grounds.

The Dominican Republic is a beautiful place to visit with its rain forests and pristine beaches.  If we want it to remain this way we need to encourage sustainable tourism while the countries tourism continues to develop.