- Thread starter Ken
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Arrivals Down At POP During First 3 Months Of 2014
we should be looking at tourism for the whole island...
but this thread sticks on POP airport
they moved flights from POP to PUJ... and that was considered a travesty
as long as the island goes forward, we all go forward
some just want to be at the front of the parade
actually, you can see more from the rear.......
but this thread sticks on POP airport
they moved flights from POP to PUJ... and that was considered a travesty
as long as the island goes forward, we all go forward
some just want to be at the front of the parade
actually, you can see more from the rear.......
hey Robert, Sadly i doubt that there is an easy fix for that problem. The Dominican Government has to determine that the POP airport costs are beyond ridiculous and are a significant hindrance to reaching their desired tourism growth. the other side of that coin is still marketing. if people are sold that something is a must see destination, they will pay the extra fees to get there.
The bigger problem is, there is nothing "must see" anywhere near here.
Geez I am negative...and I love it here...go figure.
....get the feeling much of this concern is actually a concern about retaining or growing real estate values?
the biggest problem is making "must see" things. Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and Big Ben would necessitate lots of effort to fabricate...
that is ALL this is. a bunch of guys want to boost up the Sosua real estate business, and make some quick bucks, and it is going to be scorched earth adventures. they are going to burn everything in their path. the chicas are just phase 1.
When you understand how disconnected or individualistic the marketing is handled here, you will have a better grasp why nothing is going to change anytime soon for the North Coast.
1st class businesses like Ocean World, have struggled and gone above and beyond in marketing the North Coast, more so than any other business. It would take many others to follow their example to save the North Coast, I really don't see that happening.
One of the reasons Punta Cana is successful is because it wasn't always looking for government help or handouts, private business pushed Punta Cana and still does. They invested in their product and are now enjoying the benefits. The airport is also privately owned by the Punta Cana Resort, another plus.
I recall a time when Jamaica had a marketing campaign which was featured in TV commercials aired on major networks throughout the United States. it placed that island into the consciousness of potential travelers across the country. Dominican republic has never been exposed to many United States citizens in a similar manner. When people are exposed to aspects of a culture and footage of its destinations, then they have a stimulus to research more about places to visit and things to see.
There are popular Dominican celebrities here in the USA such as MLB players that could be involved in such a campaign like Usain Bolt did below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaYmJYAQQKQ
here are a few of the other commercials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcCZuyQDLRk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuJUm9-0Mxk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFehCH5H5yo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pc38PipnxI
Its not about how lousy it is. The question is....what special does it have to draw tourists?
Sosua Sam, list off a few things, maybe we are overlooking some special things? Why would tourists be drawn to this part of the North Coast?
I have already stated my joy is there is absolutely nothing to do.
Even back in the 80's, Jamaica had an edge as far as tourist infrastructure goes.
The water was good.
The power rarely went out.
Over all you could trust the police.
The food is spectacular.
I would go to live music shows every night.
....and there was this stuff the rastas would sell me....
I guess you have not seen the latest group of commercials for the DR?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z4o1W5IKG0&list=PLqMyrQYUbaStaSb0pDFvHneQ6rTFJCesY
One other video in Spanish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmc_-66j2DQ
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the tourism guys in Jamaica have been in the business way longer than the guys here, and the experience shows. Jamaica is marketing the country as a brand. people want to see where Bob Marley came from, where jerk pork was created, where all that spectacular weed is grown, and to go listen to live reggae. the DR is marketing a hotel complex in the middle of nowhere. until the mid 70s, more Dominicans travelled abroad than foreigners came here. it was still relatively unknown, in international terms.
Actually, the north coast does have quite a bit of activity going on..... just not too close to Sosua.
Why would Aman Resorts choose the north coast? I certainly don't know, but they did.
There are other significant investments being made (some in progress) between Playa Grande and Cabarete.
The gov't has said it's pleased with this area's development since it links the Samana Peninsula and the Sos/Cab regions.
I suppose one could argue that the untouched (raw) beauty of the land - beaches, vegetation, etc - is an attraction.
Certainly the north coast is prettier than the PC area.....
that and a buck gets you coffee, unless its developed and marketed properly
Why would Aman Resorts choose the north coast? I certainly don't know, but they did.
There are other significant investments being made (some in progress) between Playa Grande and Cabarete.
The gov't has said it's pleased with this area's development since it links the Samana Peninsula and the Sos/Cab regions.
I suppose one could argue that the untouched (raw) beauty of the land - beaches, vegetation, etc - is an attraction.
Certainly the north coast is prettier than the PC area.....
that and a buck gets you coffee, unless its developed and marketed properly
yes amigo, i have seen them while doing extensive internet research on DR's tourism industry, but i have never seen them aired here in the USA. In other words if i hadn't already been exposed to DR through NYC business associates, then i would have never been exposed to it locally where i live in Louisiana.
I think gorgan is on to something the Dominacan Republic "dept. of tourism " has to figure a way to market this place . Jamaica has great music great food, Mexico has mariachis and great food and a lot of culture , It's going to take a lot more then good baseball players to get people here .
They were showing them in Canada the last time I was there....almost nightly I saw one of them.
people are coming to a destination that has no attraction, other than the fact that they are getting a great bargain. that is an unsustainable business model. other destinations have drawn huge crowds at the beginning, but have declined when people began to question what they got out of the experience. the fact that the DR has the lowest return rate in the caribbean is cause for concern.
Marketing is a comical but complex necessity of successful business. Primarily because humans are a fickle bunch, why do we need to see professional athletes endorse shoes, clothes, vehicles, or soda brands, in order for us to choose to consume these products also? But because people are too often just members of the flock, pop culture must tell them how to view the world and themselves. Because of this, the concept of celebrity involvement in the introduction of the USA citizens to the Dominican culture sounds like a win. People can be completely naive to Republicana Dominicana, but still feel comfortable and familiar to people like Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Albert Pujols, Al Horford, Romeo Santos, Nicki Minaj, etc. There are many American celebs, that people here in the USA adore, but are completely unaware that they are Dominican.I believe that if the Ministry of Tourism did a campaign with these household names introducing people to the culture, genres of music, colorful history, and beautiful locales of their ancestors homeland, that the impact would be substantial! More tourists would have a deep curiosity to experience more of DR than what they would encounter on a Punta Cana AI resort. This island was the beginning of the European and African experience in the Americas, and unlike Jamaica it is a more exotic culture to USA citizens, as it is a culture that speaks a romance language, and shares it's island with another romance language speaking culture. Hispaniola is also unmatched with regard to it's diversity of natural landscapes. To travel to DR and not see the tallest mountains in the Caribbean, or the largest salt water lake on any island in the world, or the Taino cave drawings, or Los Haitises national park, etc--- is like an international traveler visiting the USA and confining themselves to a hotel 10 miles from the grand canyon or Niagra Falls, but electing not to leave the resort to see them!