http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/to...rport-fees-hobble-Dominican-Republics-tourism
Santo Domingo. - Dominican Republic has Latin America?s highest airport fees, a situation which hobbles tourism?s competitiveness and one of the factors which have plunged the destination Puerto Plata into crisis.
The warning came from Dominican Republic Tour Operators Association (OPETUR) president Elizabeth Tobar, who cited figures from the Las Americas and Luper?n airports.
"Whatever raises costs and landing fees for the airlines bring setbacks. We haven?t realized that we were a relatively cheap destination before, but today we have transformed into one of the most expensive in the air travel segment," she said.
?Tourism isn?t only what you have here in hotels, services, etc., but the portion with which tourists can visit a country,? Tobar said when asked about the impact of airport services costs on the tourism industry.
Her statement comes in the heels of debate over the bond issue sought by airports management company Aerodom, which led to higher fees charged in most of the country?s the terminals.
?When we start to increase taxes, landing fees , fuel and the tourist card, which by the way is an increase with which we strongly disagree, all that is handed down, and so the tourists who come to the country face the most expensive air segment per mile in all of Latin America."
Santo Domingo. - Dominican Republic has Latin America?s highest airport fees, a situation which hobbles tourism?s competitiveness and one of the factors which have plunged the destination Puerto Plata into crisis.
The warning came from Dominican Republic Tour Operators Association (OPETUR) president Elizabeth Tobar, who cited figures from the Las Americas and Luper?n airports.
"Whatever raises costs and landing fees for the airlines bring setbacks. We haven?t realized that we were a relatively cheap destination before, but today we have transformed into one of the most expensive in the air travel segment," she said.
?Tourism isn?t only what you have here in hotels, services, etc., but the portion with which tourists can visit a country,? Tobar said when asked about the impact of airport services costs on the tourism industry.
Her statement comes in the heels of debate over the bond issue sought by airports management company Aerodom, which led to higher fees charged in most of the country?s the terminals.
?When we start to increase taxes, landing fees , fuel and the tourist card, which by the way is an increase with which we strongly disagree, all that is handed down, and so the tourists who come to the country face the most expensive air segment per mile in all of Latin America."