DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

TOURISTS HAVE LONG FAVORED THE Dominican Republic, but now it also draws business.

Pundits have called it the most beautiful island that human eyes ever saw, and it certainly has much to offer tourism operators interested in luring snow-weary tourists. But in today's global economy, the Dominican Republic has a significant draw to investors and business executives: Its strategic location in the Caribbean, a market of 20 million people.

Santo Domingo, the capital city, lies on the southern side of the country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. It is the oldest city in the Americas, boasting the first fort, first cathedral, first hospital, first university and many other "firsts."

To the east of Santo Domingo is La Romana, best-known internationally as for the sprawling resort of Casa de Campo, which has two world-famous, Pete Dye golf courses. On the north coast is Puerto Plata, a seaside port that still has Victorian-style wooden

While the rest of Latin America plays soccer, Dominicans hail baseball as their national pastime, with many of the best players recruited for the U.S. major leagues. The country even has five professional baseball stadiums.