The following article consits mostly of a lengthy interview with Ricardo Hazoury, head of Cap Cana. In addition to been the main player in Cap Cana, the Hazoury family, Dominicans of mainly Lebanese and Spanish roots, also own Aerodom, the company managing most Dominican airports, and which is also constructing El Catey, in Samana. The Hazourys are also heavily invested in the construction business, through Grupo Abrisa and Sinercon. They also own one of the most pretigious university in the country, UNIBE, which has the highest concentration of foreign students of any Dominican university, and a private school in Santo Domingo, MCSchool. They also own Inden, a clinic in Santo Domingo.
Interesting fact that he points out and which I would like to emphasize:
55% of the investment in Cap Cana is been done by Dominicans (Grupo Leon Jimenez, Grupo Abrisa, (the umbrella company for the Hazoury family businesses), JCI Group, Sandra Ehlert, the Imbert brothers, lawyers, etc.,)
The Hazoury family is already investing in Saman?, it owns a lot of land in the province and, through Aerodom, is constructing/will be managing El Catey airport.
Cap Cana had a lot of difficulties in the beginning (one reason why I still do not discount AtlanticA out).
Where the Hazourys invest other foreign and national investors follow.
The Dominican tourism industry needs to diversify away from the all inclusive model, something I think it’s already doing at a remarkable rate. Let me just cite some of the resorts already under construction/expanding: Cap Cana,Las Terrenas CC, Costa Bayana (?), Playa Grande, Casa de Campo’s Los Altos ,expansion, a Cap Cana style marina at Punta Cana R&C, Los Corales, where it's rumured the Clintons may buy a house, etc….
And all the world class golf courses either planned or currently
been built: Pete Dye’s Hacienda and Tom Fazio’s Los Corales in Punta Cana R&C; Jack Niclaus’ Punta Espada, Los Iguanos and Las Palmas in Cap Cana (two more are planned); Nick Faldo’s course in Roco Ki, Arnold Palmer’s Punta AtlanticA and Jim Fazio’s The Cayon in Atlantica (?); almost certain expansion at Playa Grande (a second course posibly, now that Playa Grande Holding is set to take over); Andy Dye’s course in Las Terrenas CC; Sea Horse Ranch’s future course; and Nick Prices’ Punta Blanca, already in construction and set to open later this year as the first public course in the B?varo area .
Stuff I like to Point out:
Our A.I.’s are diversifying, becoming more upscale, at an accelerated pace ( i.e.. Sol Melia’s Paradisus Palmas Real, Majestic Colonial, Bahia Principe’s future hotels in Samana, Sivory, Altabella Hotels Hilton in Santo Domingo, Westin in Macao, etc.)
Demand of both upscale residential resorts and World Class golf resorts is and will continue to be extremely high for at least another fifteen years; the period in which Baby Boomers, with their high propencity to consume and demand for quality, is set to retire. D.R. is positioning itself as the leading country in the Caribbean catering to both markets.
D.R. Tourism Industry still has a lot of capacity for growth, i.e., Punta Cana , Samana, Bayahibe, Juan Dolio, Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata are still ripe for more investment.
The following areas hold a lot of potential: Jacabacoa, from Cofresi through Montecristi all the way to the northern border with Haiti, Playa Grande and its surroundings, Miches/Costa Esmeralda, the south coast, mainly Perdernales and Barahona, Uvero Alto.
Other possibly important, but not concrete, development I have heard of: Bonita Village and a horde of other small residential communities in Saman?, Puerto Colon, Costa Bayana, Aquazul, Punta Perla, Las Arenas Blanca Beach Resort, Sea Tree and Baoba Beach near Playa Grande (both seem to be under construction).
Finally I would like point out the umpresedented expansion of airservice to D.R from North America: from San Francisco to D.C area,and Canada to Fort Lauderdale (i.e. Air Canada, Spirit, Continental, United Airlines. O, and the recently announced partnership between Dominican investors and Lufthansa for a Carrier that can do both domestic and international flights. What next, Punta Cana airport a regional hub?
My prediction: D.R. is moving on up-- a future gold rush of investment into resorts and more upscale A.I, following the success of others like Roco KI, Sol Melia, Bahia Principe, and, more importantly, Cap Cana.
If anyone finds something particularly interesting in the article, please highlight it here like I did.
O.K. now I would love to get the insights and opinions of the rest of DR1… what do you guys think?
What’s the future like for your favorite part of the country?
P.S. No, I am not Nal
.
Interesting fact that he points out and which I would like to emphasize:
55% of the investment in Cap Cana is been done by Dominicans (Grupo Leon Jimenez, Grupo Abrisa, (the umbrella company for the Hazoury family businesses), JCI Group, Sandra Ehlert, the Imbert brothers, lawyers, etc.,)
The Hazoury family is already investing in Saman?, it owns a lot of land in the province and, through Aerodom, is constructing/will be managing El Catey airport.
Cap Cana had a lot of difficulties in the beginning (one reason why I still do not discount AtlanticA out).
Where the Hazourys invest other foreign and national investors follow.
The Dominican tourism industry needs to diversify away from the all inclusive model, something I think it’s already doing at a remarkable rate. Let me just cite some of the resorts already under construction/expanding: Cap Cana,Las Terrenas CC, Costa Bayana (?), Playa Grande, Casa de Campo’s Los Altos ,expansion, a Cap Cana style marina at Punta Cana R&C, Los Corales, where it's rumured the Clintons may buy a house, etc….
And all the world class golf courses either planned or currently
been built: Pete Dye’s Hacienda and Tom Fazio’s Los Corales in Punta Cana R&C; Jack Niclaus’ Punta Espada, Los Iguanos and Las Palmas in Cap Cana (two more are planned); Nick Faldo’s course in Roco Ki, Arnold Palmer’s Punta AtlanticA and Jim Fazio’s The Cayon in Atlantica (?); almost certain expansion at Playa Grande (a second course posibly, now that Playa Grande Holding is set to take over); Andy Dye’s course in Las Terrenas CC; Sea Horse Ranch’s future course; and Nick Prices’ Punta Blanca, already in construction and set to open later this year as the first public course in the B?varo area .
Stuff I like to Point out:
Our A.I.’s are diversifying, becoming more upscale, at an accelerated pace ( i.e.. Sol Melia’s Paradisus Palmas Real, Majestic Colonial, Bahia Principe’s future hotels in Samana, Sivory, Altabella Hotels Hilton in Santo Domingo, Westin in Macao, etc.)
Demand of both upscale residential resorts and World Class golf resorts is and will continue to be extremely high for at least another fifteen years; the period in which Baby Boomers, with their high propencity to consume and demand for quality, is set to retire. D.R. is positioning itself as the leading country in the Caribbean catering to both markets.
D.R. Tourism Industry still has a lot of capacity for growth, i.e., Punta Cana , Samana, Bayahibe, Juan Dolio, Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata are still ripe for more investment.
The following areas hold a lot of potential: Jacabacoa, from Cofresi through Montecristi all the way to the northern border with Haiti, Playa Grande and its surroundings, Miches/Costa Esmeralda, the south coast, mainly Perdernales and Barahona, Uvero Alto.
Other possibly important, but not concrete, development I have heard of: Bonita Village and a horde of other small residential communities in Saman?, Puerto Colon, Costa Bayana, Aquazul, Punta Perla, Las Arenas Blanca Beach Resort, Sea Tree and Baoba Beach near Playa Grande (both seem to be under construction).
Finally I would like point out the umpresedented expansion of airservice to D.R from North America: from San Francisco to D.C area,and Canada to Fort Lauderdale (i.e. Air Canada, Spirit, Continental, United Airlines. O, and the recently announced partnership between Dominican investors and Lufthansa for a Carrier that can do both domestic and international flights. What next, Punta Cana airport a regional hub?
My prediction: D.R. is moving on up-- a future gold rush of investment into resorts and more upscale A.I, following the success of others like Roco KI, Sol Melia, Bahia Principe, and, more importantly, Cap Cana.
If anyone finds something particularly interesting in the article, please highlight it here like I did.
O.K. now I would love to get the insights and opinions of the rest of DR1… what do you guys think?
What’s the future like for your favorite part of the country?
P.S. No, I am not Nal
.
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