Frank Rainieri warns about disorderly real estate development in Bávaro–Punta Cana during DATE 2026

Punta Cana. – Within the framework of the Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE) 2026 tourism fair, businessman Frank Rainieri expressed his concern about the disorganized real estate growth in the Bávaro-Punta Cana area, considering that the expansion has occurred without proper planning.

During an interview, the founding president of Grupo Punta Cana stated, in an energetic tone, that the development of the area has lacked effective controls, pointing out the lack of firmness on the part of the State to regulate urban growth. "The area has grown without planning. It's time for the authorities to assume their responsibility through regulations and laws that control this problem, which can affect the short and medium term," he said. Rainieri questioned irregular practices in the execution of projects, indicating that some developers start works without complying with basic requirements of planning and sustainability.

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"It can't be that anyone can take a piece of land, put in fill, and say they are organizing a project. The size of this cadastral district, from Juanillo to Macao, is even bigger than that of Greater Santo Domingo," he affirmed. The businessman warned that this type of growth is unsustainable and criticized the lack of essential infrastructure, such as treatment plants, in some developments. "Here, everyone who has land wants to start a project, but without a treatment plant. That way anyone makes money, but the problem remains for those of us who live here," he expressed. Furthermore, he insisted on the need to confront the situation with greater determination on the part of national and local authorities. "The Dominican government and local authorities have lacked the courage to confront this. I have been reiterating that call," he added. Rainieri also warned about the long-term consequences of these projects, pointing out that in many cases developers sell and abandon the initiatives, leaving communities with the generated burdens. Call for sustainable destination planning The businessman's statements come in a context of accelerated growth in tourism in the Eastern region, one of the country's main hubs, where actors in the sector have insisted on the need to strengthen territorial planning, environmental regulation, and investment in basic infrastructure. In that sense, Rainieri reiterated that tourism development must be accompanied by sustainability and planning criteria, in order to preserve the destination's competitiveness and avoid negative impacts on communities and the environment.