All-inclusive resorts in the D.R.

soniateruel · Feb 25, 2002

Hello everyone:

My name is Sonia and I am writing a dissertation about the Dominican Republic, specifically about the impacts that the All-Inclusive resorts have on the local community. I spent 2 months in the country last year, which was fantastic, and totally passed on the All-Inclusives, so that we could mix with the locals. I did some of my research there, however, there are a few things that are essential to my research and I still don't know! Can you help??
They are:
- When did the All-Inclusives start in the D.R? What year in Puerto Plata and what year in Santo Domingo? (these are the two areas I am looking at, but if you have just a year in general, that would help a lot!)
- What is your general impression of them?

Thank you very much, everyone, and I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Sonia.

Hillbilly · Feb 25, 2002

I am not sure if this will help, but try this:

Go to Jack Tar Village web site and see if they have the date they started here in POP.

They were the first. I would image late 70s but ?? What do I remember??

As for Santo Domingo, I don't think that there are any AI in Santo Domingo. If you mean on the South Shore, you could check the Barcel? web site, as well as Coral, and probably Casa de Campo, who might have been the first on the Southern part....

Maybe a little help.

HB

doug · Feb 26, 2002

Impact on Community

I am not from the DR....but I have frequently visited, and to my knowledge I believe that the AI have done good and bad for the economy. The good would be the influx of customers...because the majority of travellers (I believe) like the AI, thus bringing more travellers to the DR....but on the other hand.....the small business man hurts because of these vacationers do not go outside of the resort....and the resort promotes the customer to stay inside the "gates" therefore hurting the businesses that are around the big AI. The customer does not want to venture out and spend thier dollars in the bars and boutiques. I for one ( and thier are alot of people like me....esp. here on this board)like to go outside of the resort....of all my times there, I would say I have been to the small non-alinclusive hotel more than the AI. The only reason I go to the AI is because the aironly is so high it's better to go AI, for me...in my area that is! When at the AI, I barely drink at all there and I like to eat out as well, cause I like to eat what,where and when I want! So the average small business hurts when people don't go outside and spend thier dollars. For me a 1 week vacation costs about 850.00 if you shop the price and know how and when to book......while at the same time a flight only costs about 550.00.....so for 300.00 you have hotel, food, booze, transfers and some other perks, such as watersports, bikes,beach chair,beach towels and so on! Don't know if this is any help to you......but I hope so!!!! Take care..............Doug

Jim Hinsch · Feb 26, 2002

The AI helps the DR locals, but perhaps not the locals directly next to them. They employ, buy products to supply their hotel, and bring guests that ordinarily would not have come. They pay taxes, use local utilities, and of course, locals maintain and constructed the properites. Some of the hotels that are now AI have been around for 30 years or more but changed to AI when the idea became popular with tourists.

Search the archives. Lots of opinions on this in the forum history. Search using all-inclusive, AI, all inclusive, etc.

soniateruel · Feb 28, 2002

All-inclusives

Thank you all so much for your input. It was really helpful. I am surprised to see the AIs started so early (70s?) because it seemed that people there thought they had been there only for 10 years if that, and then, Santo Domingo (meaning mostly Juan Dolio and all that area) is even more recent. That is why it seemed when I got there that people hadn't got used to the idea yet and the area was suffering quite a lot.

Thank you very much!!

Sonia.

Marc · Feb 28, 2002

All inclusives - a shift

My two pesos, kind of late I guess...

AI's represent a shift in the economy. I believe in the long run, they will bring more people to the island, and as previously posted, the money ultimately ends up in the economy. I believe it ends up in fewer pockets, and more foreign pockets are getting filled, but the money still comes in to the country in certain ways.

There is a shift, however, that is quite painful for many of the small local hotels that go under in the transition. Also, many of the support services such as pubs, restaurants, tour companies, etc....will also be victims to the AI growth.

One great disservice that the AI tour agents do to the country is put fear in the hearts of the tourists and insist that they are in danger if they leave the resort, and encourage them to stay at the hotel or go on the guided tours that they sell. I am not convinced as to their motivation for doing this. It is either that they want to get the touring dollars aswell as the flight/accom dollars, or that they are hedging against any legal liabilities should someone get injured/killed/robbed while outside the resort...

marc

soniateruel · Feb 28, 2002

All-Inclusives in the D.R.

Hi everyone,

I agree with all of you in some aspects, like for example, the A.Is create employment, etc, etc. But about using the local supplies such as food, drinks, etc, it doesn't happen in most cases. I have read that the D.R. doesn't have enough supplies to cater for the A.I tourists. And why is that? Because they are not investing locally in the agriculture, farming and so on. Most A.I companies are foreign (if I am not wrong) and so the money eventually goes outside. Because of the amount of imports, the local economy suffers lots of leakages. Also, the hotels waste a lot of food and drinks, and local resources such as water and power. I can see that tourism, whatever type of tourism it is, is needed in the D.R., and it accounts for a lot in the country, but I think the Government should realise that they are overdependent on that industry and forgetting about their own, such as agriculture, etc.

When I went to Santo Domingo, the city is beautiful, but so dirty!! I think the Government is giving total priority to that type of tourism (AI) forgetting that the way the city looks is also important for two reasons: 1st, for the locals, and 2nd for the tourists when they do venture out. If they improved the city, tourists should want to go out a bit more. Even though, you are right about the tour operators and travel agents telling tourists that it is dangerous outside. That is just ridiculous. I always felt safe. You do feel a bit of hassle, but it is totally understandable if they don't benefit from tourism at all, when they see a tourist, they go for them!

Does anyone still know what year they started? Or what year hotels transformed into A.Is? I am doing my best to find it out with the clues you've all given me.

Thanks a lot.

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All-inclusive resorts in the D.R.

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