Well what the hell do you expect with both Thomson and Thomas Cook charging nearly 1000 pounds sterling (us$1500+) for two weeks here including children. Their ripoffs are adversely affecting RD well being and i have not read of Leonel trying to do anything about it.
- Thread starter granca
- Start date
Tourist arrivals from UK down
Wow, I wish I could get a decent AI package for 2 weeks in the DR, from Canada, for $1500 US!
If I'm not mistaken, prices are set by the home countries, right? The only thing the DR can change up is the 300 dollars in tax. Suddenly my $799 AI package becomes 1099. Whereas other Caribbean destinations, Cuba for example, have a much smaller tax added on.
If I'm not mistaken, prices are set by the home countries, right? The only thing the DR can change up is the 300 dollars in tax. Suddenly my $799 AI package becomes 1099. Whereas other Caribbean destinations, Cuba for example, have a much smaller tax added on.
Jet A1 (aviation jet fuel) in the DR carries the highest taxes in the entire Caribbean.
Thomas Cook and Thomson try to "tank" as much fuel as they can, because believe it or not, it's cheaper for them to carry their return fuel all the way across the Atlantic than it is to buy it here!
Why can't Leonel see that if he reduced the tax on jet fuel, then the airlines would buy more of it, therefore keeping tax revenues the same?
But no, he would prefer to strangle the golden goose.
Another factor is that both TCX and TOM have reduced their number of flights to the DR this year. Although what flight availability they have is selling well. Most flights this summer are already booked full.
The DR cannot afford to rest on it's laurels. UK customers want value for money and will vote with their credit cards. With so many exotic holiday destinations to choose from, the DR has some serious competition.
It seems to me that most of the investors who invested in the resorts on the north coast want to make a large profit, then take the money and run. How many resorts (apart from Coral Marien) have had any major refurbishments lately?
The DR is no longer a cheap long haul holiday (unlike Cuba). It's prices are on par with Barbados, but Barbados has a lot more to offer in terms of luxury. The peso is being kept artificially high, which in my opinion is doing serious harm to this country.
Thomas Cook and Thomson try to "tank" as much fuel as they can, because believe it or not, it's cheaper for them to carry their return fuel all the way across the Atlantic than it is to buy it here!
Why can't Leonel see that if he reduced the tax on jet fuel, then the airlines would buy more of it, therefore keeping tax revenues the same?
But no, he would prefer to strangle the golden goose.
Another factor is that both TCX and TOM have reduced their number of flights to the DR this year. Although what flight availability they have is selling well. Most flights this summer are already booked full.
The DR cannot afford to rest on it's laurels. UK customers want value for money and will vote with their credit cards. With so many exotic holiday destinations to choose from, the DR has some serious competition.
It seems to me that most of the investors who invested in the resorts on the north coast want to make a large profit, then take the money and run. How many resorts (apart from Coral Marien) have had any major refurbishments lately?
The DR is no longer a cheap long haul holiday (unlike Cuba). It's prices are on par with Barbados, but Barbados has a lot more to offer in terms of luxury. The peso is being kept artificially high, which in my opinion is doing serious harm to this country.
DR politicians are complacent. The main competitors in tourism are Mexico (which has become very dangerous to tourists) and Cuba (unaccessible to US citizens). The infrastructure improvements are moving at a snail's pace. The taxes are sky high.
This is the reality faced by hard-working Dominicans:
A RD$10 increase in a gallon of fuel somehow justifies a jump in guagua (and carro publico) fares by RD$5 per person... sometimes as much as a 33% increase in cost! And the wages ain't moving. Oh wait.. the minimum wage was increased... but so were income taxes. Sad. If this is what the government does to its poor citizens, why would you think the "rich" tourists would be given any kind of economic break? The UK is small fish compared with US and Canadian visitors. Taxes and jet fuel are sky high regardless.
If Cuba becomes free anytime soon, they will bury the DR where it comes to tourism - especially when Americans can legally visit. I hope I'm wrong because I'd love to see the DR pull its head out of its a$$ and flourish... but I'm not convinced it'll happen in my lifetime (and I'm only 32).
This is the reality faced by hard-working Dominicans:
A RD$10 increase in a gallon of fuel somehow justifies a jump in guagua (and carro publico) fares by RD$5 per person... sometimes as much as a 33% increase in cost! And the wages ain't moving. Oh wait.. the minimum wage was increased... but so were income taxes. Sad. If this is what the government does to its poor citizens, why would you think the "rich" tourists would be given any kind of economic break? The UK is small fish compared with US and Canadian visitors. Taxes and jet fuel are sky high regardless.
If Cuba becomes free anytime soon, they will bury the DR where it comes to tourism - especially when Americans can legally visit. I hope I'm wrong because I'd love to see the DR pull its head out of its a$$ and flourish... but I'm not convinced it'll happen in my lifetime (and I'm only 32).
Have a look here Central Bank of Dominican Republic
Just as an example look at POP arrivals for 2006.
Arrivals from USA 85,017
Arrivals from Canada 160,713
Arrivals from UK 163,565
Not really that small fish!
Most of those arrivals from the UK would have stayed for at least a week, the majority of them, two weeks. And would have parted with some serious dosh!
Are you kidding me???
beeza... why are you quoting figures from 2006 if more recent ones are available? And why are you only looking at POP?
According to your own source:
2010 (upto end of July)
Canada 475,764
USA 817,347
England 92,759
2009
Canada 515,552
USA 918,802
England 141,028
Go back to sleep.
beeza... why are you quoting figures from 2006 if more recent ones are available? And why are you only looking at POP?
According to your own source:
2010 (upto end of July)
Canada 475,764
USA 817,347
England 92,759
2009
Canada 515,552
USA 918,802
England 141,028
Go back to sleep.
Because POP is where a lot of the UK tourists come in from.
And this thread is about Tourist arrivals from the UK are down! You need to study a trend to conclude that statement.
No UK airlines serve Santo Domingo or Santiago so that wouldn't be a fair comparison.
But the fact remains that in 2006, the UK had the majority of arrivals at POP so I don't think that the director of POP airport or the minister of tourism would agree with your glib remark that UK tourists are small fish!
Going to sleep now.
Night night!
And this thread is about Tourist arrivals from the UK are down! You need to study a trend to conclude that statement.
No UK airlines serve Santo Domingo or Santiago so that wouldn't be a fair comparison.
But the fact remains that in 2006, the UK had the majority of arrivals at POP so I don't think that the director of POP airport or the minister of tourism would agree with your glib remark that UK tourists are small fish!
Going to sleep now.
Night night!
Ok... so I see where I veered off course. The cost for flying from the UK to DR is more expensive than it should be due to the significantly higher jet fuel prices in the DR. This IS a major issue considering the distance that must be travelled when compared with tourists going from Canada or the US. Cuba and other locations are much cheaper to fly to due to lower jet fuel costs. This makes perfect sense.
So essentially, the question is... if the cost of the airline ticket were substantially cheaper than it is now, would visitors from the UK begin to increase again? There is obviously demand... but how much? What else has changed since 2006 that could also affect the drop in tourism from the UK? Any ideas? The more I think about it, the more interesting this question becomes.
Canada also has no direct flights to either Santiago or Santo Domingo. So any Canadians landing at these destinations would have to connect or go through the US (most likely). The US has all kinds of flights to all over the DR by a whole bunch of airlines. Mind you, the Dominican population in the US is huge. How big is it in the UK? In Canada it's not that big at all... Montreal has the largest community, followed by Toronto.
So essentially, the question is... if the cost of the airline ticket were substantially cheaper than it is now, would visitors from the UK begin to increase again? There is obviously demand... but how much? What else has changed since 2006 that could also affect the drop in tourism from the UK? Any ideas? The more I think about it, the more interesting this question becomes.
Canada also has no direct flights to either Santiago or Santo Domingo. So any Canadians landing at these destinations would have to connect or go through the US (most likely). The US has all kinds of flights to all over the DR by a whole bunch of airlines. Mind you, the Dominican population in the US is huge. How big is it in the UK? In Canada it's not that big at all... Montreal has the largest community, followed by Toronto.
Dominican Population in the UK to my knowledge is minimial. I would guess under 1000.
That said, I personally know of 3 in the UK.
With regards to our holidays to the DR, it used to be 3 times a year, and now, partly down to cost its less.
I remember the days of a ?150 return ticket to POP from Manchester. Those days are long gone!
That said, I personally know of 3 in the UK.
With regards to our holidays to the DR, it used to be 3 times a year, and now, partly down to cost its less.
I remember the days of a ?150 return ticket to POP from Manchester. Those days are long gone!
The taxes that the UK government levy on long haul flights have increased quite considerably over the last three or four years; air passenger duty, travel insurance levy & the so called "green taxes" especially. We fly to Sosua twice a year and, where we used to pay about ?420 each for a standard return on Thomson or Thomas Cook (the only two airlines that fly UK to Pto Plata) in 2006, we are now paying ?630+ for the same flight - plus we book at least 13 months in advance to try and get the best discount! It used to be cheaper buying direct over the internet, now the net and the travel agent are the same price - the travel agent's price hasn't gone down, the net price has gone up.
I'm just glad that our kids are grown up & we can fly outside of the school holidays because, as Granca has pointed out, the airlines hike their prices during this period and there are no child seats if you are just using the airline for a flight.
Getting to and from paradise sure 'aint as cheap as it once was : but it's still worth it.
7 weeks & counting!
Tropical Regards
Ian & Ellie
"What else has changed since 2006 that could also affect the drop in tourism from the UK? Any ideas?"
The recession + likely cuts in public spending will see a further cut in numbers as people fear they will be made redundant.
DR is seen as a cheap option for some tropical sun. The people I have seen on these flights go to the DR for this reason and will be sensitive to increased prices - i.e go somewhere closer to home. Continuing reports on poor hygene standards etc will also not help.
The recession + likely cuts in public spending will see a further cut in numbers as people fear they will be made redundant.
DR is seen as a cheap option for some tropical sun. The people I have seen on these flights go to the DR for this reason and will be sensitive to increased prices - i.e go somewhere closer to home. Continuing reports on poor hygene standards etc will also not help.
Cuba for USA by Christmas??
A few more political prisoners released, the November elections complete and it becomes a very real possibility.
A few more political prisoners released, the November elections complete and it becomes a very real possibility.
Most poor hygiene I have seen demonstrated is amongst the guests themselves...some very nasty people out there!!!:ermm:
People love to find fault and pass the blame onto the hotels when really they need to look in their own backyeards!
I dont agree...people who go to Cuba wont take long to figure out the real deal there...most people I know are cured after one trip!