Aren't we fortunate some of us that we can travel internationally and have choices of where to live.
- Thread starter Dolores
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Pace of tourism slows, global uncertainties put a dapper on tourism increases
The truth — tourists and expats are fed up, and the DR has fallen behind.
I’ve lived in the Dominican Republic for over 15 years, and what’s happening now with tourism isn’t shocking. It’s not just “global uncertainty” — it’s the result of years of bad service, no accountability, rising prices, and refusal to evolve.
Let’s be honest:
Mexico, Colombia, Albania, Portugal, Thailand — they’ve all stepped up. They offer cleaner cities, safer streets, better service, and real value.
The truth is, the DR has fallen too far behind. Tourists and expats have more and better choices now — and they’re making them.
I’ve lived in the Dominican Republic for over 15 years, and what’s happening now with tourism isn’t shocking. It’s not just “global uncertainty” — it’s the result of years of bad service, no accountability, rising prices, and refusal to evolve.
Let’s be honest:
- Customer service has gotten worse, not better. There's no effort, no real training, and most places act like they're doing you a favor. Tourists are treated like a nuisance, not a guest.
- There’s zero accountability. Problems get ignored or passed off. No one takes ownership — not in hotels, not in restaurants, and definitely not in government offices.
- The infrastructure is collapsing. Just look at Santo Domingo — traffic is a nightmare, streets flood after any decent rain, and basic services struggle to keep up. Even Punta Cana, the “flagship,” is overwhelmed with traffic and poor planning.
- Tourist zones feel chaotic and predatory. Between the scams, overcharging, and nonstop hustling, visitors are exhausted before they even settle in.
- Expats feel the weight too. I had a full-time apartment for years, but each year I spent less and less time here. Luckily, I never bought — or I’d be stuck, like many others who now regret it.
Mexico, Colombia, Albania, Portugal, Thailand — they’ve all stepped up. They offer cleaner cities, safer streets, better service, and real value.
The truth is, the DR has fallen too far behind. Tourists and expats have more and better choices now — and they’re making them.
The trash thrown everywhere with no regard for the environment is a giant turn off. Tourists don't want to see it.
Walk any beach near a river outlet after a storm and it will sicken you. Go walk Vin Diesel's Bergatin beach. It's literally a land fill amount of garbage. Maybe 300 trucks worth.
Look at any river and wonder how Dominicans can poison fresh waterways so completely.
And I have seen no program, posters, imposed fines or countrywide campaign to prevent litter. Don't say it's because of poor education. No it's because Dominicans (and Haitians) are just too lazy to properly hold into and dispose of trash in bins and apparently they don't seem to mind living in it.
Walk any beach near a river outlet after a storm and it will sicken you. Go walk Vin Diesel's Bergatin beach. It's literally a land fill amount of garbage. Maybe 300 trucks worth.
Look at any river and wonder how Dominicans can poison fresh waterways so completely.
And I have seen no program, posters, imposed fines or countrywide campaign to prevent litter. Don't say it's because of poor education. No it's because Dominicans (and Haitians) are just too lazy to properly hold into and dispose of trash in bins and apparently they don't seem to mind living in it.
And the health and financial resources to do so!
I agree with most of what you posted but the fact remains that there are still areas in the DR country side with small towns, a slow pace of life, safer than the large metro areas, devoid of drunken AI tourists and scammers, but with a nice level of locals and expats. If you move here and live in congested areas, you have to learn to live with the consequences of your actions. Paradise lost can paradise found if you approach it thoughtfully. Think before you buy and, as you did, always rent first.
You're absolutely right — there are still beautiful, peaceful pockets of the DR, especially in the countryside and smaller towns. I’ve experienced that side too, and it’s part of what kept me here for so long.
But the issue I raised — and many others are feeling — is that what the world sees and pays for isn’t the countryside. It’s the over-commercialized areas like Punta Cana and Santo Domingo where the cracks are most obvious. And that’s where the vast majority of tourism dollars go — and are now being lost.
The reality is, 99% of people aren’t coming to the DR to sit in a small, remote town and do nothing. They’re drawn in by glossy marketing — beaches, resorts, nightlife, adventure — and when that experience doesn’t live up to what was promised, they don’t come back.
Even those in quieter areas aren’t immune — inflation, poor infrastructure, and weak institutions are national issues, not just city ones.
I agree: paradise can still be found if you approach it thoughtfully. But for most tourists and many expats, the gap between expectation and reality is what’s pushing them to look elsewhere.
Exactly right. Tourists don't come here to sit in a 40-year old hotel in Constanza, Nagua or Villa Altagracia and get drunk and pick their noses. They come for the beaches, or eco-tourism. No one ever said "gosh I need a plate of Mangu or some crapping black beans and a tough steak". Many come for the AIs because they offer packages. Which used to be cheap.
But DR's bargains have evaporated. Gone are the days where you could stay a week in an AI for less than $500. Now it's $1,500and well up from there, and airfare here is absurd. Why should you be able to fly from Florida to Colombia for half of what it costs to fly to DR ? Why can you go to Portugal for two weeks and spend less than DR ? It's nearly $1,000 for a 2 hour flight here from Miami.
Here is a repeat warning for DR - Once you lose tourism, it's near impossible to get it back - just ask Acapulco or Puerto Vallarta. Former hotspots for the jet set - deteriorating into crime infested ghettos. There are a lot of Hotels in Punta Cana that could become empty shells along the coastline.
But I think the die is cast - Now keep it's time to keep your eye on home prices, they are falling too but how low will they go or how long will it take to sell if you want out ? As we watch the roads continue to crumble, the trash pile up and wait for the promised water that never comes. So much of what this country could be is fading faster than Kamala's political future..
On a positive note - this is the best weather year for cooler temperatures I have seen since first coming to the Caribbean in 1999. And I am enjoying that. Maybe Global Warming has been reversed ? Thank God for that New Green Deal huh.
Yeah but who pays the water for 200 condos in Encuentro. 35,000 gallons per day for that many units is a minimum is 12 tankers at 3,000 each - that's 1,350,000 pesos a month for delivered water. That's going to be over 6,000 pesos a month per unit. Will they just add that to the condo fees ?
Nearby Perla Marina has plenty of condos without water
I agree with this 200%, especially the part that needs to be repeated 100 times and loud: once you lose tourism, it’s nearly impossible to get it back.
Tourism is built on perception, value, and trust — and the DR has lost all three.
No one is flying in for mangu and a dry steak in a small town. Tourists come for what’s been marketed for decades — beaches, resorts, good weather, and value. But now? They’re getting overpriced packages, collapsing infrastructure, poor service, and absurd airfare. $1,000+ from Miami for a two-hour flight? Meanwhile, Colombia, Portugal, Albania, Mexico, and others are offering way more for much less — and with better treatment.
And let’s be real: the DR has developed an arrogance — a kind of delusion of grandeur — like it's the only country with beautiful beaches. That attitude has led to complacency. While others innovated and improved, the DR kept recycling the same outdated model, assuming people would keep coming no matter what.
But they’re not. Not anymore.
The bargain is gone, the experience doesn’t match the price, and the consequences are spreading — not just in Punta Cana and Santo Domingo, but also in Puerto Plata, Boca Chica, and beyond.
The DR has been left behind. It will not recover. There are just too many better options now. And no matter what the gringo YouTubers try to sell you, people are waking up — and choosing better.
Bargains? To be honest I do not see many "bargains" anywhere these days. As far as the experience doesn't match the price, IMO it depends on where you go. One of the issues I see is that people want the prices of yesterday, but the reality is everything is more costly these days. Mexico was mentioned, well we priced trips to Cancun, and it is more expensive than Punta Cana. Sure, there are less expensive areas of Mexico, but I am not that adventurous. Not so sure the tourists are fed up, at least with Punta Cana. In Punta Cana most tourists get to the resort and that is where they stay. They do not really see the traffic, etc. Chaotic and predatory, at the resort everything is included that is why most chose an AI, no need to worry where to go eat, etc. Could the DR do better, of course. But so could many other places. Not sure where the $1000.00 airfare came from. Our trips from Miami to the DR whether it be Punta Cana or Santo Domingo average around $450.00 more or less.
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Despite the growth and tourism numbers the DR continues to be a third world country. Not much has improved. The infrastructure is horrible. Health care horrible. But I belong to the yuca, mangu, beans and tough steak crowd. And now I have my residency and cedula renewed until 2035 so I will still be coming back.
Price a flight from Puerto Plata. It's around $960 and $75 for a checked suitcase.
American Airlines out of Santiago is $864.
Yeah if you want to fly at 1:30 AM you can get Jet Blue for $480.
Not sure where those prices are from. My BIL is coming at the end of June, SDQ to MIA and the ticket RT was $568.00 with a checked bag. Son is going to a wedding in July, his RT from PHL to SDQ was $417.00, he is not checking a bag. These are on AA.
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SDI is the cheapest followed by Punta Cana, then STI and POP is always highest.
Funny that it is more expensive from Miami to DR than NY or Philadelphia. Flight prices make no sense.
You can fly NYC to Medellín, Colombia for $267.
Agree, flying in and out of SDQ has always been cheaper than anywhere else in the DR.
“But I belong to the yuca, mangu, beans and tough steak crowd. “
Many of us are…because of our beloved family.
If not I wouldn’t get nearby the Island.
Trash everywhere, too hot and humid, 20.000 pesos grocery’s, etc…
I am getting a little older now in my sixties and looking back I wonder how in the name of God did I work and live here for almost ten years (1991-2000).
As days go by I am looking for a better place to retire…probably Tenerife or the mainland of Spain. My wife is fond of the Pyrenees…maybe.