I fear that the US has been in trouble for some time and will get worse over the next few months to a year or more. (I study the markets and saw this coming two years ago.)
With the US $ down, and most likely will continue to fall, good for tourest/buyers from other countries peoples to go to the US.
As for the Dominican Republic? IF you could get the Hotels and tourest. real estate people to give you an honest answer... that would tell us a lot. (Some have asked me... where the tourest?)
As far as people coming to the D.R. instead of thier other regular vacation places, not likely. They may have to fly on regular flights 1st class, rather then private jets and leave their horses and staff home. (Yes, some do bring them.) I have noticed that the private chartered yatches that pass by my place on the North Coast, are about 1/3 of last year.
Keep in mind that the Peso is valued mostly on the US dollar and it takes a few months for the full effect to take place in the DR. England takes about 6 months with Europe about another 6 months to show up on a local basis.
Hold on. Regards, Ringo
The DR will see the aftershocks of the USA's recession via the Diaspora that makes their impact with remittances year after year...
About less tourists calling the DR, the reverse is happening; more and more of the tourists that call port in the DR are spending more and many are buying property here as soon as it's put up for sale, like hot cakes out of the oven...
The less transit you see of yachts coming and going by your house looking towards the sea is mostly because more and more of those are mooring for long stays in the docks, unlike before...
Just take a stroll by most of the marinas and try and see if you get lucky getting a slot for any 50+ footer there...
As for 1st class flights, tough luck! Most airliners have made away with the 1st class definition towards the "Biz" travelers...
About the US Dollar taking at least 6 months to have the ripple effect in the DR's economy, yes, if we were living back in the early 1980's maybe...
Nowadays the DR market is as much dynamic as the European or Asian is to the US. The effects are swift and sometimes need the trade on floors to be stopped cold to avoid catastrophes...
The thing you must separate the DR market from the US recession, is that no longer the DR keeps all the eggs in US $ but Euros as well...
The DR's banks are awashed with extra income and projections never looked better, as the internal revenues due to better accounting and corporate audits are proving to make past debtors the new poster boys for good clients the norm.