- Thread starter markryan
- Start date
All inclusive tourism
"AI" is NOT tourism!
It's just a different hotel, on a different beach.
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It's just a different hotel, on a different beach.
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Not all tourists stay at the AI for their whole vacation! We have enjoyed Samana for the past five years and love it! Most convenient for us to get a package out of Canada that includes air fare, transfers, and an all inclusive. To book everything by itself would be twice the price.
The highlight of our vacations are getting off the resort and enjoying some tours by locale tour companies and trying out some local, traditional restaurants.
Don't be putting Down the AIs...they have made it easy to get tourists to DR from all over the world. Up to the tour companies and restaurants ...and I would hope your government to come up with a plan to entice tourists off the resorts. Shouldn't be that hard in such a beautiful country!
Like I say, the AI's and airlines have come up with a profitable plan to get all these tourists to the DR...the hard part is done! Just show them what is off the resort....no brainer! Or they can go to Cuba and stay on the same resort, just a different beach as you say, a bit cheaper and soon to be much more convenient as far as the big USA market is concerned.
I would think the DR should embrace the whole AI concept as it is, and has been for decades, the way tourism is going. It's what tourists want. Just get some plans going to get them off the resorts.
Really would you book a flight and pay for it, book a hotel and pay for that, book transfers and pay for that, then try to find restaurants that you hope are safe and good...or just buy a package that handles all that at a cheaper price?
Staying in AI's may not be authentic tourism, but it pays the bills and hurts no one. It draws tourists into the country that would otherwise stay away because they do not know the language or want to be bothered by foreigners. It is like a cruise, but with less seasickness and more sand.
a bit of info on the numbers of tourists arriving to DR and hotel occupancy in the same period:
http://www.asonahores.com/media/3990/Boletín 138 Diciembre 2013.pdf
http://www.asonahores.com/media/3990/Boletín 138 Diciembre 2013.pdf
Great idea, BUT, for the average Joe Tourist, he gets fed all this misinformation from the resort that it's dangerous outside the resort and don't go out unless you are accompanied by someone in the resort.....its the only way the resort makes money $$$$ because of all those , as you call, great deals to come down here......
the ai's is like the matrix i had to let one guy choose the red pill and see how far the rabbit hole went and he had a hell of a time not knowing what was out side of the resort
and just a couple other ways they make $$
1)- pushy and downright obnoxious Vacation Club / time sharing Scam salesmen who hound you if they have a table set up at that AI... huge cut goes to the AI.
2)-Wi Fi area you have to PAY for, which is usually FREE at almost any other Hotel
3)- "Romantic dinner/PAY Theme Restaurants" inside the AI, where they upsell you to better food and expensive wine.. so the "AI" does not really mean what it says
4)- Mini bar/refrigerator in the room where you can only take ONE bottle of water per day, and the rest they will ream you on the prices, eventhough the same soda is FREE at the bar and dinner etc.
5)-Overpriced Daily group Activity outside the AI, with tour guides, like Jungle tours or to see the Whales or whatever, which they get a Cut of, no different than the Motochoncho dudes on the street who show you where to go
6)- Daily fees for the Room Safe Key, usually like $3.. where electronic safes are usually FREE at many other hotels
7)- overpriced junk Gift Shops inside the AI, and try to buy like an Umbrella when its raining ( an item you actually NEED) .. Good luck with that..
thats is just a short short list.. and if there is a THEFT in your Room.. good luck with that.. security is no better than any other hotel if not worse. Might as well leave your door open when you leave the room.
I still use them, when the price is right... but do i prefer them ? never.. they are a last resort.
I do AI every time in my visits here, Cuba or Mexico but I rent a car and drive around every time across the Country which EVERY AI insists is too dangerous!!
I love buffets and stuff but ditch the AI every day to look around the real country. All of my friends seem to go to Punta Cana from Vancouver and it is extremely hard for me to convince them it is ok to leave the resort. My latest friend went with her parents and they NEVER left the Resort. I told her i thought that was pretty ridiculous since they are missing the best part, exploring a new Country. They were scared, never left and she was ****ed at me for saying anything!!!
I love buffets and stuff but ditch the AI every day to look around the real country. All of my friends seem to go to Punta Cana from Vancouver and it is extremely hard for me to convince them it is ok to leave the resort. My latest friend went with her parents and they NEVER left the Resort. I told her i thought that was pretty ridiculous since they are missing the best part, exploring a new Country. They were scared, never left and she was ****ed at me for saying anything!!!
The main hurdle the dr has is the language barrier. Im sure if english was more widely spoken, tourist will be more adventurous.
Some vacationers dont know or have patience to plan out an itinerary on their own . Las terrenas cabarete and bayahibe areas will allow a visitor to just get a room and eat out n explore. These town should create a simpler way to get around on bus.
Places like aruba , where all inclusive isnt big, there is a city bus route, that takes coin fare, and an organized route like in a modern country. Aruba offers the visitor the oppurtunity to dine on property, or off. Resturauants are located on a strip with a strip mall offering shows and live music, restaurants offer many types of dinning and seafood is a big deal.
The DR could easily convert their all inclusive properties and convert miles of beach front into a strip of sorts . There could be a solid city bus system to go hotel or bar hoping. I understand a system is in place, but its all in spanish and not formal/regulated city bus style. Tourist are scared to get lost and not being able to fend for themselves.
Some vacationers dont know or have patience to plan out an itinerary on their own . Las terrenas cabarete and bayahibe areas will allow a visitor to just get a room and eat out n explore. These town should create a simpler way to get around on bus.
Places like aruba , where all inclusive isnt big, there is a city bus route, that takes coin fare, and an organized route like in a modern country. Aruba offers the visitor the oppurtunity to dine on property, or off. Resturauants are located on a strip with a strip mall offering shows and live music, restaurants offer many types of dinning and seafood is a big deal.
The DR could easily convert their all inclusive properties and convert miles of beach front into a strip of sorts . There could be a solid city bus system to go hotel or bar hoping. I understand a system is in place, but its all in spanish and not formal/regulated city bus style. Tourist are scared to get lost and not being able to fend for themselves.
Very good point ! It should be easier to go from point A to B within the island and go around town. In central America, there are shuttle connecting main tourist areas, it is inexpensive and super easy to get around and geared for tourists. If traveling a la local, fancy you, there are still guaguas, but there are no reasons not to have some shuttles between the tourist towns with reservations done on the internet and hotel pick up.
Same thing in the yucatan, it is easy to get around with bus within the area.
i don't understand the contempt for all inclusive. i support AIs wholeheartedly. it's perfect vacation after a year of hard work: everything is done for you and all you do is fry in the sun. the tourists don't give a damn about the world outside the walls, why should they? if they want holidays with culture and sightseeing they go elsewhere. and sure as hell i would not want them wander the streets aimlessly, it's asking for trouble.
I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST "AI's".
I have stayed at dozens of them.
But you are basically there for the pool, food, drinks, and the beach.
The "tours" you book from the hotel are just made up "Adventures" that are the same "adventures" no matter which island you happen to be on.
THAT is exactly what many people want.
But don't call it "Tourism".
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I have stayed at dozens of them.
But you are basically there for the pool, food, drinks, and the beach.
The "tours" you book from the hotel are just made up "Adventures" that are the same "adventures" no matter which island you happen to be on.
THAT is exactly what many people want.
But don't call it "Tourism".
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I suppose there are different ways of looking at tourism.
One definition is to leave home and stay somewhere else and have fun.
Not all tourism is sightseeing, or communing with nature, or learning about other cultures.
An AI in the DR is rather like an AI at Disney, but with fewer anthropomorphic mice, ducks, and other animals and probably more rum.
Another definition is interactive foreign travel. That is what I prefer, but recreation, like food, is a question of taste.
One definition is to leave home and stay somewhere else and have fun.
Not all tourism is sightseeing, or communing with nature, or learning about other cultures.
An AI in the DR is rather like an AI at Disney, but with fewer anthropomorphic mice, ducks, and other animals and probably more rum.
Another definition is interactive foreign travel. That is what I prefer, but recreation, like food, is a question of taste.