How will the DR be affected

Sticky: How will the DR be affected

If there is a war in Iraq by the US and its allies, how do you think it will affect the DR and the tourist industry.
Will there be some cheap travel sell-offs?
Will air travel decrease?
Will prices in the DR increase?
Will Hippo offer to send troops?
What are your thoughts?
<br><br> Please only your thoughts on what will happen in the DR, we need not know about what your opinion of the possible conflict is. Just how will it affect the DR.
 
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MommC

On Vacation!
Mar 2, 2002
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My thoughts and observations!!

I. There are already cheap trips being advertised because already many people have changed their travel plans due to the threat of war. They don't want to be flying or be away from home if all hell breaks loose.

2> Air travel will be much as it was after 9/11 or even less!

3.Prices in the DR are already going up due to the increased cost of petroleum and petro products and will continue to do so!

Hippo send troops!!!! To do what?? Clean the latrines???

There you have 'em!!
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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Yes: one of the points made during speeches on Saturday's demo in Santo Domingo was about cannon fodder. I've heard this from both Dominican and Puerto Rican friends.

Let me take this opportunity to apologise for my breaking the DR1 rules in mondongo's thread. I did have a DR tie-in but forgot to include it. Something on the lines of 'if I did have the answers I'd hope to be a little closer to the corridors of power than sitting here in Arroyo Hondo posting my humble opinions on DR1'.

Chiri
 
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Andy B

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Jan 1, 2002
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DR tourism was devastated by the Gulf War of 10 years ago and the same is happening now. Although the "official" government's stastics indicated an 85% occupancy on the Samana peninsula for January, you could roll a bowling ball down the main street of Las Galeras and only risk hitting a stray dog. Las Terrenas occupancy was better but already 3 big hotels, Cacao Beach, Punta Bonita and Plantation Club are currently closed with no plans to immediately reopen. Cacao Beach has been closed since last summer, Punta Bonita closed this past fall and the Plantation Club hasn't been open for several years despite the owner's attempts to reopen.

A friend in the travel industry recently told me that people are not flying for fear of being stranded. Even his sister who is an airline employee, won't fly to the DR on vacation.

My own personal experience so far is of the 50 plus reservation inquiries we recieved at our hotel during January, not ONE became a reservation despite our past track record of converting 3 out of 5 to a confirmed reservation. So far February is better but reservations are way off for March and April.

Food prices have increased dramatically and so have menu prices in our restaurant. This is not necessarily a direct result of world events, but as the DR continues to suffer from world uncertainty and it's own internal problems, prices of everything will go up ultimately making the DR no longer a place for an inexpensive vacation.

Airfare increases and flight availability decreases will continue to affect the DR as world oil supplies are threatened.

In short, the immediate furure does not bode well for the DR, nor for the rest of the world for that matter.
 

socuban

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Nov 24, 2002
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Andy B said:
Although the "official" government's stastics indicated an 85% occupancy on the Samana peninsula for January, you could roll a bowling ball down the main street of Las Galeras and only risk hitting a stray dog.

From an investor or employee standpoint, the situation has got to bite the big one. I would not like to be in that position. From an outsider's view however, would not like to see an increase in tourist activity, curious as to how the occupancy rate in the area might change the landscape.

And yes, I am in favor of Hippo sending his Pegasus into battle!!!!
~~~~~~
I for one would love to get stranded in DR for a month or two, but because of the current politically unstable situation, my opinions for family and friends are 180 degrees from mine.
 
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Larry

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Mar 22, 2002
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Gas will continue to go up

Tourism has already been deeply affected by the global recession as much as the threats of terrorism.Initially,when war is declared,Tourism might plunge to new lows but will eventually increase again with a strenghtening global economic picture.If people have money to spend..they will come.Terrorists or no damn terrorists.
Larry
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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This is keeping within the guidelines but is very boring. Everyone is saying the same thing!
 
Dec 9, 2002
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At the risk of going outside the guidelines . . . .

I booked my next trip for May/June before Christmas here in England. Last week I went into my travel agentcy and asked them to price up exactly what I had already booked. It came up almost ?300 (US$450 approx) cheaper. So guess what - I cancelled the original trip, lost my ?50 deposit, rebooked exactly the same trip immediately and still saved ?250!

War or no war, I'm still coming ;)
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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We might be forgetting one thing: How long and who devastating the Iraq Adventure turns out to be.

I think that this event, which I am not yet in favor of, is going to be over quickly. Why? The massive buildup taking place in order to provide overwhelming force, technically superior to '91, faster and more precisely targeted. Why? The US cannot allow (a) the oil fields to be fired, or (b) any biological or chemical weapons to be deployed and used., or (c) any missles to be fired.

If this should happen to end quickly, the DR will benefit from the resulting euphoria.

As for the 'Cannon Fodder Issue', the Armed Forces are the logical place to find young men and women without many prospects in current society. You get education, up to $40,000 for college, training on being a person and a citizen. What is wrong with that? Of course, the down side is that if there is conflict, you might get killed....But if you have read the news, not too many hispanic last names coming fromthe casualty lists in Afganistan....The "cannon fodder" argument is the typical wimpy, liberal-communist talk of the Cold War....basically bullsh!t. Besides, they are supposed to be Americans first, and Dominican or Puerto Ricans by descent, not loyalty nor citizenship...You talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk..
 

Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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Pib, the world will be more comfortable in the shoes they are wearing as opposed to know knowing what the future will bring.

It will be a boost to tourism for sure. People will travel more with less uncertainty and the Dollars in the DR are tied directly into tourism. I think that the economy in the DR spins around the Tourism thing more so than the free zones and the Dominicans sending money home. War with Iraq wont affect the monies sent there from the USA I don't think and after it is over I believe things will get better economically in the US and therefore the DR as well.

My reservation for Samana Santa was changed as American Airlines dropped both the 6am and the 10:30 am direct flights into Puerto Plata. I was able to extend my trip 4 more days without having to pay the 118 dollars they charged me in January to change but this doesn't bode well for Tourism on the North Coast.

This is going to be a gas. I got bumped 3x last year with more flights, and I cant wait to tell Felix to put me on the bump list again. I would have had 4 bumps but my girlfriend at the time in NY had tickets to Moma Mia and I had promised to attend with her. This time I will stay forever and make a cottage industry out of getting bumped.
 

Arve

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Oct 13, 2002
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It's dodgy to assume too much.. But assuming the war will
be short, the oilfields are captured intact and that they are in a
reasonable shape ( the first two are fairly reasonable assumptions, I haven't got any knowledge on the third.. ) more Iraqi oil on the market will mean lower prices on gas, not higher.. That's my guess. Lower prices on oil is in everyone's interest but mine.

Tourism might also benefit. People might very well choose to go to
DR rather than other places like Thailand, Egypt or Indonesia which might be more dangerous. My course just had a planned trip to Egypt cancelled as a result of the current situation, now I'll have the time and money to go to DR instead.

Methinks this war might be beneficial for most, apart from Saddam
and myself of course.
 

Jon S.

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Jan 25, 2003
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sjh said:
One thing to point out is that there are many many dominican men in the US military.

Yeah we are in the US military by the thousands, myself included. Not too many in the Air Force, unfortunately, being that this is the branch which gives us the most opportunities to better ourselves, continue our educations, etc....but enough of that. I agree with HB, I'm in this for my adopted country, for the future of my family and every other family in the USA, it's my way of paying back the debt of gratitude owed to this nation.....I could go on and on. I can't say how it would affect the DR, everyone else gave more or less the same answer......
 

rafael

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Jan 2, 2002
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Well said, and of course we owe a debt of gratitude to you. I admire you for your courage and thoughts about your new country. Thank you and best of luck!
 

PJT

Silver
Jan 8, 2002
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I can agree with Hillbilly the ?war? will be over quickly due to an overwhelming superiority of force focused on Iraq.

If this is accomplished, the regressed desire of the masses to spend and travel will be unleashed, like a group of hungry wolves given the keys to the hen house. The D.R. will definitely benefit from this pent-up itch. If not realized, there will be chaos??.

Regards, PJT
 

Jon S.

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Jan 25, 2003
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rafael said:
Well said, and of course we owe a debt of gratitude to you. I admire you for your courage and thoughts about your new country. Thank you and best of luck!

Thank you, thank you. I'm not the type to look for a lot of recognition, I just wanna do my job and do it well, besides I'm too shy for all that crap. I've been in the states for almost 15 years and considering I'm only in my 20s its a long time...... and seen the changes over the years. It's crazy how the more things change, the more they stay the same. But thanks anyways, I am only one of thousands doing our jobs to protect everyone's freedoms
 

Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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Don't be so shy. You have the courage to be thankful and not feel that anything is owed to you as opposed to what you owe to your country. For that my hat is off to you. Your attitude is something to be proud of and your work ethic is something that the rest of us should be proud of. You are giving back which is a great thing and as an American I thank you.

There are so many armchair quarterbacks here that it is a pleasure to hear from someone on the field.

Kindest regards,
Escott