Tourism down-Concise Report

[Andy B]

Here's a reprint from one of the stories carried on the Caribbean Daily news today (you can find the news link on the upper right corner of most of Samana Net's pages). We'll probably get a further report on our regular news services later. It again indicates that despite a declining market, more rooms are being added and this is NOT what we need at this time.


EFE News Service: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-TOURISM Dominican tourism down 6.6 percent in 2001

June 28, 2002 4:07pm


Santo Domingo, Jun 28 (EFE).- Tourism in the Dominican Republic decreased 6.6 percent last year compared to 2000, according to the latest report by the National Hotel and Restaurant Association (Asonahores)

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The report attributes the decrease to higher fuel prices and an economic slump in several countries normally providing tourism to the island.

In 2001, 2,777,803 visitors entered the Dominican Republic, down from the 2,972,552 visitors recorded in the previous year.

Slightly more than 48 percent of tourists came from Europe, while 42 percent hailed from North America, according to the report.

The United States continues to be the Dominican Republic's leading source of tourists, accounting for 29 percent of the visitors from abroad, followed by Germany's 14.5 percent, Canada's 12.4 percent and France, with 8.5 percent.

Hotel occupancy in the Dominican Republic fell to 66.3 percent in 2001, down from 70.2 percent in the previous year.

The supply of hotel rooms in 2001 grew by 3.9 percent to 53,964 rooms, and 72.8 percent of hotels offered all-inclusive packages to visitors, the report noted.

Also, 19.7 percent of tourists last year were repeat visitors.


Copyright © 2002 EFE News Services (U.S.) Inc. Source : Financial Times Information Limited.

[Hlywud]

Likely 9/11, was a major reason Andy B. for the decline, and it will likely carry over this year as travel companies have put up their prices by as much as 20%. Trying to make up for their 2001-02 losses. This may not work! Tourist tend to be very frugal and go for the best deals.
Just a thought.

[paul]

To clean things up a bit- seems to be the word on the beach here in Boca Chica

started to enforce some of the anti vendor rules and picked up illegal equipment off the beach for two days - including i am told some of the "fish carts" and so on

could it be a "survey" of departing tourists said they hated being hasseled and feed food from carts that made them ill

or is competition alone enough to make the needed changes?

is a workers paradise where chulos rule and people starve not making the grade in the DR?

people vote with their wallets it is true - what you can't steal is often given freely to those who have earned it

[Jim Hinsch]

Yep. That is the story given to the public. I repeated it last year here on the forum.

The real reason is a that BC is a gold mine and some powerful people want it. A handful of people are going to get very rich and they are not about to let the parasites and tin-can businesses screw it up.

They are getting ready to remake Boca Chica. Notice all the new street lighting that hasn' t been turned on yet? Notice the physical ripping down of tin-can businesses on the beach, one by one? Notice the major increase in uniformed police presence? Several new banks have been built. A new 5-star restaurant, expensive apartments, glass-windowed shops, mini shopping plazas. The streets are actually clean (most of the time). It's actually starting to take on a modern look along the main strip.

If you go back about a year or so in the archives, you'll find the plan.

Tourism is down everywhere. Travel is down.

There is a shift in the kind of tourist Boca Chica is attracting. Real sstate in the area is appreciating quickly. The Hamaca Hotel has expanded in the last few years to almost 1/2 mile back from the beach. Many hotel prices are actually LESS than they were 5 years ago while rents have increased. That's all about supply and demand.

A lot of people are getting out and a lot are going to wait it out and see what happens. You know they've been saying the same thing down there for 15 years and they never finish what they start.

[Conchman]

In my opinion, any newspaper that prints an article about a decline in tourism in the DR that doesnt mention 9/11 as one of the leading causes, isn't worth the paper its printed on. That article is hogwash.

[Conchman]

I bet if you broke the numbers down by month through August 2001 you would probably see an increase in tourism = this is just a guess but I would bet I am right.