over 2.4 million passengers, making it the second-busiest airport in the Caribbean. Grupo Puntacana built the Punta Cana International Airport in 1984 to facilitate tourism in the area. It was the western hemisphere’s first privately owned international airport. Electricity The electricity is powered by Consorcio Energetico Punta Cana Macao (CEPM), a fossil fuel, renewable, and biomass energy producer led by US-based Argentine businessman Rolando Gonzalez-Bunster. Tourism Punta Cana is a tourist destination, and the area is a key contributor to tourism in the Dominican Republic. Activities and landmarks Many of the excursions in Punta Cana are near the water, it being a beach destination. These activities include snorkeling, windsurfing, banana boat rides, speedboats, scuba diving, catamaran cruises, party boats, deep sea fishing, as well as swimming with dolphins and sharks and snorkeling with stingrays. For visitors who prefer to see more of the Dominican countryside, there are land-based excursions such as safari tours, horseback riding and dune buggies. Visiting the Dominican Republic's smaller Caribbean islands of Saona and Catalina is a day trip from Punta Cana. The capital city Santo Domingo, and Los Haitises National Park, Samaná, are within a couple of hours. The Basilica Catholic Monument, built in 1962 and designed by two French architects, is in nearby Higüey, the 500-year-old capital of the province. Hotels and resorts Punta Cana has a number of luxury resorts. Diving Because of its location at the Caribbean Sea, diving is one of the tourist activities. The marine area surrounding Punta Cana was declared a marine reserve in 2012. Safety Punta Cana received negative publicity in the summer of 2019 for a series of American tourist deaths. Initially these deaths were reported as “mysterious,” with tainted alcohol and pesticides being rumored as possible reasons. However, with the help of the FBI and United States Department of State, it was found via toxicology reports that the deaths were from natural causes. To further ensure travelers that Punta Cana safety is of the highest priority, a consortium of 50 hotels developed the Punta Cana Promise which reaffirms their commitment to a set of safety and security guidelines. Punta Cana is generally a very safe travel destination. With regards to unnatural deaths of Americans, Jamaica and the Bahamas are just two destinations in the Caribbean which are more dangerous. Car accidents and drowning are the two leading causes of unnatural deaths to Americans in the Dominican