DR hotel occupancy rate is dropping....

[aegap]

picking flight cost like that is such a fluid thing. For example it generally costs
more to cross the Mona passage in a flight to Puerto Rico than it those crossing the
Atlantic to Florida or even New York.

[CFA123]

"occupancy rate dropping"

uhm, guys(and gurls)... anybody read the article?
it says non-dominican visitors are up 2.2% this year.

so, no good to look at why fewer tourists are coming.
any chance one or a combination of the following led to reduced occupany rates?

1. the building of new hotel rooms has simply outpaced the growth rate of tourism .
2. the 102.2% of visitors vs last year aren't staying as long
3. dominicans aren't going to resorts at the same rate that they were last year
4. poor record keeping & gathering/calculating of statistics? (nah, not in DR!)

[oceanbound]

I made my first visit to DR in April. I was there for 3 nights. Flew from JFK. The price of the weekend was well over $1000.

I was in SD and I have to admit I was a bit bored. I felt trapped in the hotel at night because it was not safe to walk outside the small zona colonial area. And, there was not much going on in the zona colonial unless you wanted to drink or eat ice cream. Plus, every local I met had a price tag attached to themselves.

My point is DR is an acquired taste. But, it costs a lot of money to acquire that taste. Until you become hooked or get that acquired taste, you are reluctant to go back. After my first visit, I am not sure that DR is my cup of tea. If the flights were cheaper, I might give it a second chance.

[KeithF]

Originally Posted by CFA123

"occupancy rate dropping"

uhm, guys(and gurls)... anybody read the article?
it says non-dominican visitors are up 2.2% this year.

so, no good to look at why fewer tourists are coming.
any chance one or a combination of the following led to reduced occupany rates?

1. the building of new hotel rooms has simply outpaced the growth rate of tourism .
2. the 102.2% of visitors vs last year aren't staying as long
3. dominicans aren't going to resorts at the same rate that they were last year
4. poor record keeping & gathering/calculating of statistics? (nah, not in DR!)

Exactly. Lies, Damn Lies & Statistics.

If people coming has increased by 2% and new hotels result in 5% more beds, then 'occupancy' will drop by 3%. Use the stats that back up the argument you want to make... 'twas ever thus!

[sweetdbt]

Originally Posted by oceanbound

I made my first visit to DR in April. I was there for 3 nights. Flew from JFK. The price of the weekend was well over $1000.

I was in SD and I have to admit I was a bit bored. I felt trapped in the hotel at night because it was not safe to walk outside the small zona colonial area. And, there was not much going on in the zona colonial unless you wanted to drink or eat ice cream. Plus, every local I met had a price tag attached to themselves.

My point is DR is an acquired taste. But, it costs a lot of money to acquire that taste. Until you become hooked or get that acquired taste, you are reluctant to go back. After my first visit, I am not sure that DR is my cup of tea. If the flights were cheaper, I might give it a second chance.

I'm not sure what you were seeking on your first trip to the DR. If you were looking for sun and sand at a cheap price, you certainly would have been better off with a package to one of the all-inclusives in Punta Cana, Playa Dorada or Juan Dolio. 3 days in the Capitol could be a wonderful educational and cultural experience, but it would require some preperation and planning, which it appears you did not do.

As far as the cost of the flights is concerned, Round trip flights from NYC are regularly available for under $400, and about $140 of that is taxes and fees. If that's too much, try Atlantic City or Coney Island.

[monfongo]

Regularly $400 ? Only in low season,high season would be more like $650. Going to the capital doesn't require anything but the willingness to go out and look around.

[jrzyguy]

i have never paid more than 450 RT (after taxes and fees) from NYC (ok EWR) durring high season (usualy feb or march). just this past week i booked a last minute flight for 500...i found that to be a bit high so i cancelled.

the fares always go up in the summer..which i think would be low season...but many domincans go home durring the summer. The fare also spike around Easter & Christmas.

Truth is tho...a trip to the DR aint as cheap as it was 8 years ago (when i started traveling there). I dont stay in an All Inclusive...and food/restaraunt prices have doubled and the exchange rate aint like it used to be.

I still think it is a great deal tho considering how expensive other carib islands are.

One thing i notice with people i talk to here in nyc. Is that the DR is no longer considered and "exotic" destination. All they know are the big AI resort areas and after one visit they want to experience something more "authentic" and adventurous.

another minus is that the capital itself does not have a beach. I cant tell you how hard it is sometimes to find a travel buddy. I love the beach...and only like a little urban life while on vacation. My buddies want both...beach and real nightlife (not prostitute infested bars...and definitely not the sanitized entertainment offered at a resort).

[sweetdbt]

Right now a RT ticket on AA or Jetblue from JFK-SDQ can be bought for dates from Sept.-Jan (includes high season) for $387 (total cost). I checked only weekend dates, so it might be less on a week day.

While it may be true that Santo Domingo can be enjoyed by simply being a little adventurous and going out, my point was that to maximize the experience by enjoying live music, theatre, etc, would require planning

[mountainfrog]

Originally Posted by sweetdbt

... 3 days in the Capitol could be a wonderful educational and cultural experience, but it would require some preperation and planning....

I am sure it would.

m'frog

[vegasdiva]

Originally Posted by aegap

Credit for the firs pics goes to CG-LT

SDQ - SAMANA Highway

Awesome pix! Thanks for posting them.