image via Steve Harvey Instagram
Following a slew of unexplained and alarming deaths of American tourists in the Dominican Republic over the past few weeks (and year), comedian/host Steve Harvey has decided to move his third annual Sand and Soul Festival out of the DR where it is normally held.
Although the event is just months away, the organizers are reportedly looking for a new destination and have notified attendees that the festivities are still on–just at a soon to be announced destination.
via The Grio:
Insider.com is reporting that an email sent Thursday to ticket holders by festival organizers said that the event location would be changing from the Hard Rock Resort at at Punta Cana, D.R., to a new locale that will be announced soon.
“There has been a lot of negative media in the recent weeks surrounding the Dominican Republic and its safety for tourists to travel. We want you to know that higher than anything, we regard your safety as most important. This is why it has been an easy decision for us to move the Sand & Soul Festival out of the Dominican Republic this year,” Morgan Hawthorne, executive producer of the event wrote in an email to ticket buyers. She noted that they are trying to provide customers “with a travel experience that is equal to, if not superior to the quality you would have received at the Hard Rock Resort.”
Harvey’s team had earlier said that guest safety was of the highest priority but had not made any announcements publicly about moving the event. When contacted by theGrio, a representative of the Sand and Soul Jazz Festival declined comment, saying only that an official update would be released next week.
Harvey’s festival was planned for Oct. 10-14 and slated to be “The Ultimate Columbus Day Getaway featuring an All Inclusive 5 Star Resort with Action Packed Events.” Scheduled entertainment included singers Anthony Hamilton and Ginuwine, plus live comedy shows.
Including the two U.S. tourists have died while at the Hard Rock resort, at least nine people have been found dead or killed under dubious circumstances while visiting the nation, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti, located to the west.
A Dominican Republic official downplayed the deaths as coincidences, calling them “fake news,” according to The New York Post.
“It’s all a hysteria against the Dominican Republic, to hurt our tourism, this is a very competitive industry and we get millions of tourists, we are a popular destination,” Carlos Suero, the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Public Health spokesman told Fox News in an interview.“People are taking aim at us.”
He maintains that tests of liquor, food and areas involved with the deaths came back negative. The U.S. State Department has said that it is monitoring the situation.
Smart move!
