The new Sosua in 2012
Sosua has had a lot of bad reviews in the past, this because after rising to tourism stardom in the mid -1980`s, the town declined under the heavy weight of competitors in other destinations both inside and outside the Dominican Republic. Added to this, the lack of innovation and unity among members of the local community, plus lack of government support. Sosua was started back in 1940 as a refuge to some of the Jews that were left with little choice during WWII, when Europe was being invaded by Hitler and the DR was the only place that would allow them in. The community grew prosperous after some setbacks, and later became one of the first tourist destinations in the island, and perhaps one of the top in the Caribbean region.
Sosua was later plagued by prostitution, which made it famous worlwide. Until late 2010, that problem kept the town in the black lists of many tour operators, until new community leaders and institutions ( also a new Major ) started a campaign that set new rules and regulations, that affected street vendors, peddlers and prostitutes. For a few months, the town was empty and complaints were heard left and right from a few small hotel owners that wanted the women back on the street in order to get their old clientele back. A few months later Sosua looked completely different. Almost 75% of prostitutes were gone, and those that remained couldn`t walk on the streets and can only work inside bars, behind the scenes.
Although there`s still certain bars and clubs where single men visit frequently, the town is now a more G-rated place for families and couples. Many new businesses attest to the health of good tourism in Sosua, and new investments show its great potential and promising future. Multi-million dollar investments in Sosua have tripled in the past few years, and new residential villa and condo communities were built, which fueled a new type of tourism that now rents private villas and oceanfront condos instead of staying in hotels.
Run mostly by foreigners, these new communities replaced about 40% of lodging options in Sosua and part of Cabarete because of the high level of security, cleanliness and convenience. German and Canadian quality standards also affected construction in the real estate business, which has turned Sosua into a large residential area where many of its inhabitants are people from Europe, Asia and the Americas. Visiting Sosua today is a whole different experience than it was a few years ago, and the town is getting back to its old splendor days. Occupation in late February 2012 was close to 100%, and at the time of this writing it was about 95%. With the planned cruiseship port to be built in nearby Maimon ( Puerto Plata ), tourism to Sosua will doublefold once the project is completed in 2014.
Copy/pasted from "Trip Advisor"
Sosua has had a lot of bad reviews in the past, this because after rising to tourism stardom in the mid -1980`s, the town declined under the heavy weight of competitors in other destinations both inside and outside the Dominican Republic. Added to this, the lack of innovation and unity among members of the local community, plus lack of government support. Sosua was started back in 1940 as a refuge to some of the Jews that were left with little choice during WWII, when Europe was being invaded by Hitler and the DR was the only place that would allow them in. The community grew prosperous after some setbacks, and later became one of the first tourist destinations in the island, and perhaps one of the top in the Caribbean region.
Sosua was later plagued by prostitution, which made it famous worlwide. Until late 2010, that problem kept the town in the black lists of many tour operators, until new community leaders and institutions ( also a new Major ) started a campaign that set new rules and regulations, that affected street vendors, peddlers and prostitutes. For a few months, the town was empty and complaints were heard left and right from a few small hotel owners that wanted the women back on the street in order to get their old clientele back. A few months later Sosua looked completely different. Almost 75% of prostitutes were gone, and those that remained couldn`t walk on the streets and can only work inside bars, behind the scenes.
Although there`s still certain bars and clubs where single men visit frequently, the town is now a more G-rated place for families and couples. Many new businesses attest to the health of good tourism in Sosua, and new investments show its great potential and promising future. Multi-million dollar investments in Sosua have tripled in the past few years, and new residential villa and condo communities were built, which fueled a new type of tourism that now rents private villas and oceanfront condos instead of staying in hotels.
Run mostly by foreigners, these new communities replaced about 40% of lodging options in Sosua and part of Cabarete because of the high level of security, cleanliness and convenience. German and Canadian quality standards also affected construction in the real estate business, which has turned Sosua into a large residential area where many of its inhabitants are people from Europe, Asia and the Americas. Visiting Sosua today is a whole different experience than it was a few years ago, and the town is getting back to its old splendor days. Occupation in late February 2012 was close to 100%, and at the time of this writing it was about 95%. With the planned cruiseship port to be built in nearby Maimon ( Puerto Plata ), tourism to Sosua will doublefold once the project is completed in 2014.
Copy/pasted from "Trip Advisor"
