Tourism dropping in DR cause of shottings...

M

Maria

Guest
hello,

I'm going to Puerto Plata at the end of february for 2 weeks and i'm concerned of going now and might cancel my trip because of another shooting that happened lately. I'm travelling with two teenagers and I wanted to take them downtown puerto plata/sosua area but not after these shootings that lately happened. I'm not if I should take the risk? Any info would help..thanks
 
A

aristoba

Guest
you are enterely right, way to dangerous. I see you live in ontario, canada. well better leave there immidiately. latest statistique . I believe in Toronto alone for this year over 200 murders..The rest of canada not much better. I dont think they reach this number for the whole Dominican Republic. but wait . where to go New york is worse. not to speak about California. Florida we dont even dare to think about, Yes. I know Go to Greenland I hear thats pretty safe this time of the year, even though alcoholism pretty high this time of the year. Maria come to puerto plate with your two children. you are there a whole lot safer than on Young street Toronto. BTW tourism is up in the DR... stop speading wrong rumours.
 
C

CES

Guest
Re: Tourism dropping in DR (Question?)

Hi Maria,

Will you please post to this board the source of your information on declining tourism in the RD.

Thank you & Regards,

. . . CES
 
P

Pasola Joe

Guest
Maria,you will not have any problems in the Dominican or with the Dominicans.These people would be the first to help you if you needed assistance and I have found this through out the DR,yes bad things happen everywhere thats true and the DR is no exception so pack your bags,grab the kids and GO!
 
S

Susanne

Guest
Dear Maria,

A lot of this subject is covered further down the board, but I will repeat to you what I said further down: The Dominican Republic is generally a very safe place to be for tourists. Sure, if you leave valuable items in unlocked cars, they might disappear pretty fast. And I hang on to my bags, I don't carry lots of cash, I don't walk around after midnight in dark alleys wearing a mini skirt - you know, all the usual travellers' advice. Most of these are precautions I take even in my home country, Denmark, where the violence and murder rate is low.

I have just been to Puerto Plata, and while the traffic struck me as somewhere between insane and lethal, I found people friendly, helpful and very fond of children. I had two children - age 3 and 5 - with me. We didn't stay at all inclusives, we travelled a bit and never felt threatened or unsafe. Actually, we are going back next year, though this time we will be staying most of the time in Las Galeras on the Samana Peninsula, because we simply loved it the days we were out there. Mainly because of the nature.

So just look forward to your trip, don't be afraid and don't look for "suspects" around every corner when you are down there, 'cause then you will not enjoy it as much as you could.

Regards, Susanne
 
E

ECH, M.D.

Guest
Re: Tourism continues in spite of tragedy

TO PUT THIS IN FURTHER PERSPECTIVE FOR YOU: My grandson lived here from first grade until his departure in September for sixth grade. He is currently living in Southern California and I am far more worried about his personal safety THERE than here (I am from Southern California). Drive by shootings, gang violence, drugs, violence in the schools...and the list goes on. As Susanne says, use the same common sense you use in your own home country and you should be fine here! Enjoy!
 
W

William Leslie

Guest
PLEASE NOTE EXCERPT FROM CANADIAN NEWS PAPERS. 1.)The lady probably had some personal involvement with the suspect which is what most people in Sosua already were talking about. 2) Very little yet know about the gentleman WHO LIVED THEIR 20 YEARS But a suspect is a "family" member on his girlfriends side. NEITHER OF THESE INCIDENTS AFFECT NORMAL EVERYDAY VISITORS. These are the same type of incidents that relate to most murders in other countries.

Canadians in Dominican Republic not to panic.

Emile Beaupre, 74, was found dead earlier this week in

La Caleta, where he had lived for almost 20 years

during his retirement, Le Journal de Montreal reported

Friday. Few details were known about how or when he

died. La Caleta is about 35 kilometres east of the

capital Santo Domingo.

The report came days after Anne-Marie Morin, 49, of

St.-Isadore-de-Beauce, Que., was found Monday in

the hotel she co-owned with 11 other Quebecers in

Sosua, a north-shore resort town near Puerto Plata.

The paper said police in Puerto Plata arrested a

suspect, Felix Alberto Diaz, on Thursday. Constable

Javier de la Cruz was quoted as saying Morin MAY HAVE BEEN ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH DIAZ.

The newspaper also reported an arrest in the Beaupre

murder, identifying THE PERSON IN CUSTODY AS THE SON OF BEUPRES GIRLFRIEND.