DR hotel occupancy rate is dropping....

[cobraboy]

Originally Posted by vegasdiva

Similarly, I don't buy "the press" about america's economy being strong. Maybe it's not in the dumps, but "average americans" are concerned here. Just do a search on recent press/news about mortgage/banking and housing industries.

I'm not a "professional" economist, but my education is in economics.

I am not trying to argue your point.

But in EVERY economy at ANY point in time, there are sectors doing well, and sectors doing poorly. The guy working in the last buggy whip factory thought the economy was in the crapper. Henry Ford thought otherwise at the same time.

"The economy", nor the press, is responsible for folks buying too much house, at too high a price, with a poor mortgage products (like some of those interest only ARM's with a teaser rate for a year or two, negative amortization included). Individuals are. No one I know of are forcing people into poor personal choices. I have read where Ben Bernanke said the sub-prime mortgage situation will not have long-term effect on the overall economy (but they might have an effect on the mortgage company who packaged them with recourse). Additionally, there are segments of the housing market that surprised economists the last couple of months, especially new starts. There is a problem everywhere (even the DR, especially the north coast) of bloated current inventories. But the market will sort things out, and there will be a price equilibrium where the demand for that inventory will reduce the supply.

The reality of economic conditions, and the perception of economic conditions are two different things. If a person doesn't really understand the economy, the enormity and complexity of it, their opinions can be easily swayed by handsome and pretty talking heads on television.

[incredible]

Originally Posted by slrguy

Man, batich - you have a VERY odd perspective.

Not much of a devotee of real-world economics, are you? To say that tourism only benefits hotels and restaurants is..well...is infantile.

Exactly WHERE should all these people "go to work", who currently eek out a few bucks hawking tshirts on the beach?

And crime is not a direct result of poverty? Tell that to the folks in South Central LA, Liberty City, etc.

It hasn't occurred to you to ponder a little? Hmmm....tourism way down, crime way up, simultaneously? Reckon there's any sort of connection?

Mark Twain had some outstanding advice. "It's better to remain silent, and have people think you're a fool, than to open your mouth, and remove all doubt."

But maybe it's just me....maybe is better to ignore facts, and just tell everyone to go get a job - without recalling that DR unemployment is pretty high. This means- there aren't tons of jobs out there, even IF your friends, the tshirt hawkers, weren't too lazy to work. Let's stick to your plan- preserve the natural beauty, while crime escalates to the point that no one is safe trying to enjoy it. Yea- that's the ticket. We can all admire the natural beauty from the safety of our armored cars...

Agreed i bet no tourists go to parts of the Captal like Captillo or bad parts of Villa Mella, the crime there is horrible ....

[aegap]

Samana having the sharpest fall off isn't necesseraly a bad thing - it could probably be mostly explained by the hude number of rooms that have been added lately, in expectation of the new international airport eventually taking off ..which will happen, but it takes time. i.e. I bet the actually number of tourist visiting Samana actually incresed modestly.

The numbers for Punta Cana are amazing, - about two thousands rooms added every year, yet the occupancy rate actually increase to a level that would make many resort areas around the world very envious:

2006: 92% occupancy rate!
2007: 93% occupancy rate!

Bayahibe/La Romana fall off is neglegible, particularly given the area's great room occupation rate:

2007: 92.6% occupancy rate!

In fact, I believe DR is doing better than the Caribbean as a whole. Something that'd be amazing, given the fact DR is the Caribbean's number one destination.

[aegap]

Originally Posted by El_Uruguayo

from today's DR1 headlines:

Tourism sector not concerned
The vice president of the National Hotel and Restaurant Association (ASONAHORES), Arturo Villanueva, says that the tourism industry is not concerned about the regional decline of tourism reported by the Caribbean Tourism Association. He said that the tourism sector has successfully begun the process of diversifying the options and offers for tourists. Villanueva made these statements in response to a 2006 report featured in the Wall Street Journal that found that tourism in the region had declined by 3.8% and also declined internationally by 5%.

The trend is not DR specific.

Exactly, those number seem to confirm what I expected.

If Dominican tourism were to be clasified by body parts, Punta Cana would be both the heart and the brain. The room number there has been growing in leaps and bound, yet the occupancy rate has actually increased! Not only that, the standards (ie. diversivication) have been of the new resort have been increasing enormously (moving from a European standard to a more American tailored standard).

..And it won't stop in the near future, the boon will continue: i.e. Cap Cana hasn't really opened much. Same with Roco Ki, and it's Westin Resort and Fazio golf course , which are set to open later this year. Oscar de la Renta's PUNTACANA Resort & Club has some major expansion in the execution phase, including a new Fazio golf course under construction.


The NH hotels in Cap Cana and it's two sister super luxury NH hotels in Bavaro, which together will have over 1, 000 rooms! ..all five stars.

The several Alta Bella in Cap Cana. The US2 billion dollar Trump at Cap Cana and its Trump Tower and two golf courses. ..The over $500 million dollar Fallaron Estate at Cap Cana will be part of it

The addional about 4,000 residential units in Cap Cana that will be soon built.

Cap Cana been about than twice the size of the island of Bermuda, (which means its more than twice the size of Manhattan, New York), hence there will be construction goin there for like ever in the future!



the luxurious 1000+ rooms Moon Palace is set to open later this year in Macao , and guess what? ..

Starting this summer, a luxurious resort with a Jack Nicklaus golf course is to be developed right next to it. It's seto eventually have about 4,000 residential units, over 1,000 hotel units, its own commercial area (i.e. mini town center) ..and did I mention what would be at least the fourth Jack Niclaus golf course in Punta Cana.

Nicklaus Design - Courses Under Construction

:: CANA BAY - Beach Club & Golf Resort : Punta Cana, Dominican Republic ::

Cana Bay's still in development sister resort: Cana Hills

...need I say more?

[Matilda]

Not surprised about Juan Dolio. 3 of the biggest hotels shut last year to became apartments so only 3 left. Since no more charter flights into La Romana the european tour operators don't want to schlep people 3 hours from Punta Cana. Hence less tourists.

[aegap]

re:Samna, I forgot to mention the new SDQ-Samana highway that is coming along, ..

(edited to add: how do I resize them?)

(*Pictures e-mailed to me by a member here who recently described his journey through it, and whose tagline I'm embarassed to say I don't remember. Trank you for the pics, ..Identify yourself, whoever you are!)

Also, its Samana Internatiola Airport-Las Terrenas extension (these pics by Shuffline):

[aegap]

Credit for the firs pics goes to CG-LT

SDQ - SAMANA Highway

[sammystorm19]

I think that the drop in tourism from the North American passengers has to do with the Climate. This past winter wasn't as harsh as past years and the summer has a arrived early in some places. Also the cost of flights to the DR aren't as cheap as they use to be. I can say this with facts as I am a travel agent. I still go to the DR as much as possible no matter what the weather is like here in Ontario Canada or how much the flights cost.

The drop in tourist doesn't have much to do with the crime. Hell there is more crime going on in Mexico with Canadian tourist then there is in the DR. The DR isn't as cheap as it use to be as it is building from the "third world country" status it once had. I recommend the DR to all my clients as I love it there and I feel it has a lot of offer people.

I just thought that I would finally say something on here. I have never posted anything, but wanted to give my thoughts on this topic.

Cheers

[Gabriela]

30 years ago, Sosua was unspoiled, and beautiful. Three decades later, Sosua has been chewed up and spit out by the international tourist trade. People will come and gamble, and look for prostitutes, but families will move on to other countries, and serious travellers will head to Peru and other mature tourist areas that offer more cultural and adventure tour opportunities. Soon even the whales will leave Samana. The DR is like a faded whore whose best days are behind her. Soon the expats will pack up and go home, tired of robberies and a joke of a legal system.

[Nelly]

From Halifax to Varadero $227
From Halifax to Puerto Plate $326