- Thread starter beeza
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Tourism at POP in decline
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Good point in 5 to 10 years the tourism sector there will be deserted like a ghost town. Stay tuned as more resorts, restuarants, and other businesses close shop. As long as the DR has Sosua, Bavaro, Punta Cana, and these other fancy tourist areas tourism will continue though it will gradually decline as time passes on.
Wow, every time when my Dominican friends return here, they stay at this hotel for a few days, are they going to be surprised.....
I had no idea POP was suffering so much.....
"As long as the DR has Sosua, Bavaro, Punta Cana, and these other fancy tourist areas tourism will continue though it will gradually decline as time passes on."
Is Sousa a "fancy tourist area" - has seomething changed?
Is Sousa a "fancy tourist area" - has seomething changed?
I am sure more will fall as there are too many in that short strip! I was in Occidental Allegro a month ago just for a weekend and I am sure they're next! They had closed down the casino and disco so you can imagine how boring it can be in the evenings if you cannot leave the hotel.
I do believe it will not be deserted as it is still a nice area so I expect a few strong ones will survive.
I do believe it will not be deserted as it is still a nice area so I expect a few strong ones will survive.
This ia good point. The teleferico, beach, prostitutes and the port. Not particularly something for everyone.
Heres is a better question though: What should they do to enhance tourism and capture the tourist dollar?
I ll start and recommend something, even though I m not sure what they are looking for: an tropical retreat or a family type vacation spot.
How about an amusement park in Porto Plata? Like part Kaskada and part Disney?
Maybe if they stopped jacking up the taxes more Canadians would be going to the DR instead of Cuba now a days... I've run into a lot of people who go to Cuba now or Mexico simply cause their taxes are about $100 + cheaper than DR... $332 for taxes is way to much for those who have no connection to the DR and are just looking for a holiday....
FIRST:
"In the twelve hotels still operating in Playa Dorada..."
THEN:
"Five of 14 hotels in Playa Dorada have closed down..."
No wonder things are bad. Tourism officials as well as journalists never got past the third grade.
"In the twelve hotels still operating in Playa Dorada..."
THEN:
"Five of 14 hotels in Playa Dorada have closed down..."
No wonder things are bad. Tourism officials as well as journalists never got past the third grade.
Puerto Plata is done. stick a fork in it. and it ain?t coming back. it was based on a business model of build it cheap, milk it for all it?s worth, and bugger off. it was never intended to be more than a cheap, eat till you barf resort for guys on a budget. POP has nothing besides the teleferrico and some beach. every country within tropical latitudes that is not landlocked, has a beach. there is no entertainment, and guys are stuck in Playa Dorada thinking of things to do after they sober up from the booze and rubber chicken. now that costs have caught up, guys will go to Dubai instead..just as cheap to get there, with first class amenities. POP was done in by the Dominican Law of Minimum Effort. now, the chickens have come home to roost ...RIP.
I haveto admit, been on the cards for some time. I stayed there firstly about 8 or 9 years ago, and we spent week there back in December 2007 and it's decline was very obvious, and lack of interest in improving things very evident everywhere. Such a mind numbingly boring place full of mind numbingly boring people. We stayed there coz it was cheap and an A/I lazy ass week for us, and just up the road at thx time. Had I flown 10 hours to get to that I would have been unhappy, but again when people are getting a week A/I for under ?400inc flights from UK what can you expect.
The DR is littered with Canadian visitors and expats. I agree that many Canadians do visit Cuba, but Mexico's numbers have been declining quickly for many reasons. Yes, the taxes in the DR are way too high, but the accomodations are quite affordable. The taxes also vary depending at which airport you land. The DR government really needs to push a marketing campaign and be proactive.
And what more does the Punta Cana area have to offer, and yet their numbers keep growing in the discount vacation field.
When I stayed at a resort in Punta Cana I felt like their was nothing to do whereas on the north coast I always find something to do on my 4 week vacations. The north coast has a lot more to offer than a teleferico and a few beaches.
Compared to 6 years ago when I first started going to the north coast, the infrastructure has improved dramatically yet their tourist numbers drop.
When i go to a travel agent in canada they hardly ever mention Puerto Plata, always pushing PC, why is that?
Fewer Smiles
Tourism going dow?
There can be only one explanation:
Dominicans nowadays smile less. :ermm:
http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/to...s-Dominican-Republics-tourism-success-a-smile
donP
Tourism going dow?
There can be only one explanation:
Dominicans nowadays smile less. :ermm:
http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/to...s-Dominican-Republics-tourism-success-a-smile
donP
snoozer, i have never been to Punta Cana, but all my acquaintances who have been tell me that it is a snore, but it is the new kid on the block. i am made to understand that there is nothing to it than miles of hotels, and nothing more. but, it is where the Dominican Tourist Ministry has decided to hang its hat, to the demise of POP. if the business model duplicates POP, it will only be a matter of time when someone will be posting this same article, only with the caption ?tourist decline in Punta Cana?.
It's simple, where do the Politicians have the option to grab cheap land and sell it to Investors from abroad to build large Resorts ? For sure not POP !!!
Puerto Plata could be a viable tourist destination and I have seen major plans for the area in various presentations of the Ministry of Tourism. However, many of the solutions are too practical, logical, and economically viable to ever get done...! The most illogical or ill-conceived will likely get funded.
Some of the plans include:
Creation of a cruise ship terminal (cart before the horse unless the other initiatives are done first).
Restoration of the downtown district to create a "Colonial City" image.
A fairly major museum and cultural center.
Building walls and painting buildings along the highway from the airport into Pto Pta to hide the poverty (seriously!).
Development of the malecon with high rise luxury hotels condos and restaurants.
Marketing Pto Pta as "the San Fransico of the Caribbean" (again, seriously...)
Creation of a tourism cluster to market Pto Pta as a destination...already done...have you seen their "POP" campaign?
These are all "official" plans for the city itself...there are many more ideas on the books for Sosua and Cabarete as well...
Puerto Plata could have something for just about everyone, but the chance of it ever being developed that way and properly promoted are pretty slim...
Some of the plans include:
Creation of a cruise ship terminal (cart before the horse unless the other initiatives are done first).
Restoration of the downtown district to create a "Colonial City" image.
A fairly major museum and cultural center.
Building walls and painting buildings along the highway from the airport into Pto Pta to hide the poverty (seriously!).
Development of the malecon with high rise luxury hotels condos and restaurants.
Marketing Pto Pta as "the San Fransico of the Caribbean" (again, seriously...)
Creation of a tourism cluster to market Pto Pta as a destination...already done...have you seen their "POP" campaign?
These are all "official" plans for the city itself...there are many more ideas on the books for Sosua and Cabarete as well...
Puerto Plata could have something for just about everyone, but the chance of it ever being developed that way and properly promoted are pretty slim...
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