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Pace of tourism slows, global uncertainties put a dapper on tourism increases

CristoRey

CristoRey

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chico bill said:
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.
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I've been flying STI/MIA/JAX or STI/FLL/JAX one-way at least once a year and vice versa for over a decade now and I've yet to pay more than $300 per trip. Flights out of MIA/STI via American Air never ran me more than $225 USD.
 
chico bill

chico bill

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CristoRey said:
I've been flying STI/MIA/JAX or STI/FLL/JAX one-way at least once a year and vice versa for over a decade now and I've yet to pay more than $300 per trip. Flights out of MIA/STI via American Air never ran me more than $225 USD.
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Have you priced those recently. Are they still the same?
That's $525 round trip plus your ground transport Jax to Miami
 
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Notengo

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Fulano2 said:
“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.
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Similar here. My wife has her kids and properties in DR and there is no other place we went to in years. My old mother just came back from a 6 month stay in southern Spain. A beautiful renovated house on a mountainside in a very small silent village close to the Sierra Nevada. I haven’t been there in almost 10 years which is sad.
The Pyrenees are also beautiful! Another benefit of the mainland is you don’t need the hassle of flying, just make it a road-trip.
 
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tht

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My last trip SDQ MIA SDQ on AA in March was 314 USD boarding group six, I don't need a flatbed on a two hour flight. On my travel dates AA fly five times both ways, I have a ten minutes drive to SDQ. I have a trip coming up in June RT as of today 322 USD. I like it here. Back to Europe? Probably never except occasional quick visits. I have worked international last thirty years now I'm trying to settle down.
 
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windeguy

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CristoRey said:
Interesting.
At what point were you the majority?

Most all of the expats I socialize with here in Santiago are Italian. I think they are the biggest group of expats in the city after the Dom Yorkers.
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Is a Dom York really an expat? I don't consder tham to be expats, just Dominicans that don't live out of the DR.
 
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windeguy

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PJP said:
There was a time, 20 - 30 years ago when there were few Americans and tons of Europeans. French, Italian, Brits, Dutch, German, and quite a few Canadians. With reductions in flights from Europe and a massive increase in American visitors things are radically different now. No idea about Canadians now, it's been forever since I've met any new ones

I bet if the DR made residency simpler and easier, as well as cheaper that there would be a surge in Canadian visitors with the US acting up and so many cancellations to the US. As well as from many countries.

I see no need for residency now. My personal opinion only. Not worth it if it ever was
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Exactly what I saw when I moved in 2003 to Cabarete.

Residency was a priority for me to get a driver's license. Not possible for me to renew it back in the USA since I had no residence there. Legal residency here is still easier than many places. A lot of countries are enacting much more difficult visa processes on push back from citizens that gentrification from wealthy foreingers retiring in their countries are pushing them out of desirable areas to live. That has not happened to my knowledge in the DR>
 
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windeguy

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chico bill said:
I was driving through Sosua and on to Cabarete today.
What I see is raging building going on from Playa Laguna all the way to Cabarete and a bazillion apartments in Encuentro by Casa Linda and more down on the beach.
And everywhere you look on either side of Cabarete multi-level condos are being thrown up.
I may just be a Debbie-Downer but I can see a train wreck coming with all the over-building coupled with increasing crumbling infrastructure - All this with now falling home prices in DR yet with rampant inflation on other items showing no signs of abating.
Something has to give or at least roll back quite a bit.
Seems like we are going back to the doldrums for property demand
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Either that or those who would normally retire in Florida will come to Cabarete. Florida condos are a disaster right now with many going unsold because of astronomical condo fees from high insurance and rebuild costs due to recent events in the news like hurricanse and falling buildings. Time will tell.

I am about to have the potential for over 300 neighbors very soon and the places have been selling so far. Some up to 3 Million USD a bit further in toward Cabarete center.

There is some real train wreck potential from the lack of water and electricity...
 
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windeguy

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SNH said:
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:

  • 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.
The country relied on beaches and all-inclusive resorts for far too long while ignoring everything else. And while the DR stayed still, other countries improved.

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.
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Portugal and Thailand just made it harder to retire there. Check Youtube out on that new development. Mexico and Colombia still have that drug lord vibe for many Americans. Perhaps that is why fewer Europeans are coming to the DR than when I moved here, but as I mentioned there is pushback from locals in Portugal and Thailand.

Albania? Don't know about that choice.
 
Ecoman1949

Ecoman1949

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windeguy said:
Portugal and Thailand just made it harder to retire there. Check Youtube out on that new development. Mexico and Colombia still have that drug lord vibe for many Americans. Perhaps that is why fewer Europeans are coming to the DR than when I moved here, but as I mentioned there is pushback from locals in Portugal and Thailand.

Albania? Don't know about that choice.
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Windy. I’m all my years of travelling, Albania was never on my radar. Out of curiosity I checked Travago for resort prices for the 2025-26 high season. A few were actually offering discounts except for the Xmas and Easter period. Lots of discounts now but it’s heading into low season.

Pre Covid I always headed back to the DR in July low season to celebrate my birthday with my expat friends. I could get a week at a cheap resort, a sub compact for the week and return airfare on WestJet for under $1000 Canadian. Those days are long gone.
 
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aarhus

aarhus

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Ecoman1949 said:
Windy. I’m all my years of travelling, Albania was never on my radar. Out of curiosity I checked Travago for resort prices for the 2025-26 high season. A few were actually offering discounts except for the Xmas and Easter period. Lots of discounts now but it’s heading into low season.

Pre Covid I always headed back to the DR in July low season to celebrate my birthday with my expat friends. I could get a week at a cheap resort, a sub compact for the week and return airfare on WestJet for under $1000 Canadian. Those days are long gone.
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Albania has become increasingly popular the last few years.
 
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cavok

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windeguy said:
Either that or those who would normally retire in Florida will come to Cabarete. Florida condos are a disaster right now with many going unsold because of astronomical condo fees from high insurance and rebuild costs due to recent events in the news like hurricanse and falling buildings. Time will tell.

I am about to have the potential for over 300 neighbors very soon and the places have been selling so far. Some up to 3 Million USD a bit further in toward Cabarete center.

There is some real train wreck potential from the lack of water and electricity...
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My thoughts exactly. Power is constantly going off-and-on now due to needed maintenance on the power grid and the lack of capacity. Ditto for the water supply. Just how are all these new projects going to have adequate power and water?
 
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Notengo

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cavok said:
My thoughts exactly. Power is constantly going off-and-on now due to needed maintenance on the power grid and the lack of capacity. Ditto for the water supply. Just how are all these new projects going to have adequate power and water?
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The goal of these projects is to sell and build them. Money. They probably don’t care how people will (have to) live in them afterwards. Apart from environmental permits it doesn’t look there are any infrastructural limitations put on these projects.
 
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CristoRey

CristoRey

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chico bill said:
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.
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For May 20th 2025 on Expedia. It quotes$340 for the exact same flight if booking STI to MIA. Crazy?

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