So, Fidel coming to power in 1959 was "the best thing to ever happen to them," but his death may mean the same thing?
Nals (GIs need no apply), what do you know about La Revoluci?n? No propaganda, plese.
- Thread starter Don Juan
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Fidel's demise and what it means to DR.
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So, Fidel coming to power in 1959 was "the best thing to ever happen to them," but his death may mean the same thing?
Nals (GIs need no apply), what do you know about La Revoluci?n? No propaganda, plese.
Cuba is currently the #1 vacation destination for
Canadians...DR is #2 i believe...it's not just Europeans
Survey says;
Mexico with 704,000
Cuba 518,000
DR 506,000
Stats Canada
A
apostropheman
Guest
Isn't there already private property ownership in Cuba? My UK optician bought a place there quite a few years ago while he was visiting for a conference of those in his profession. It may not be private ownership as you would define it, more a leasehold arrangement, but he certainly intends living in it when he retires.
If real estate prices in DR begin to moderate I would link this more to what is currently happening to US housing market, rather than what might happen to Cuban property market.
This time of night a 9 looks like a 0 to me
or I'm tired and I hit 0 on the key board since it's right next to the nine but thanks for pointing out that even more Canadians go to Mexico. "Will it hurt the American component of Dominican tourism?"
Nals,
Obviously you were not around during the '50's when practically all of south Florida spent most every weekend in Havana, just a short flight away. And with today's fast jets, this weekend market now reaches all the way to the Canadian border. And when Cuba closed to Americans, this desire for "things foreign, yet nearby" was transferred to the Bahamas and Mexico. Canada had already been in the mix so we won't consider them in this discussion. At this time, US tourism in the islands and south of the border took off. The DR wasn't even thought of by the traveling public except as a place to avoid as they had dictators, soldiers shooting people, a repressed society,...well you get the picture (and this conception endures, even today).
Havana on the other hand was an open town of great parties and even better music, a gracious host to thousands of tourists (despite the fact that their "President" was also a dictator) and then after the revolution, a people who have suffered unjustly in the world's eyes at the hands of a "liberator," (yet another dictator just wearing a military uniform). And a huge Cuban contingent in the US (that has done well and further shown the US people their qualities) has kept their country and it's once-faded charms evident and further fueled the American desire to experience Cuba first-hand. Believe me, Americans are generally quite sympathetic to our Cuban friends.
The US public has an immense pent up demand to visit Cuba, which many Americans hold dearer to their heart than the DR. I'm not worried about a loss of European or Canadian visitors as yes, they have been visiting Cuba all along, but they are NOT the future of DR tourism as is the growing US market and they DON'T spend near as much as the Americans do (as a hotel owner I have first hand knowledge of this,...in fact they're quite tight compared to free-wheelin' American tourists). The DR might be attempting to upscale their tourism offerings, but take a look at WHO is staying in the $150-$200 a nights rooms. Europeans or Canadians? No, it's Americans who spend a lot more on vacations than any other leisure market in the world.
I see you have posted a poll and allready the overwhelming response seems to be one of concern for the DR. Rightly so. This country WILL suffer as world attention is turned toward rebuilding a down-trodden nation with huge investments, increased tourism and generally good will. I'm hoping I'm at least partly wrong and the powers that be in the DR will see this coming and change it's ways and tourism flourish and grow,...but I don't think so. The mindset just isn't there.
Nals,
Obviously you were not around during the '50's when practically all of south Florida spent most every weekend in Havana, just a short flight away. And with today's fast jets, this weekend market now reaches all the way to the Canadian border. And when Cuba closed to Americans, this desire for "things foreign, yet nearby" was transferred to the Bahamas and Mexico. Canada had already been in the mix so we won't consider them in this discussion. At this time, US tourism in the islands and south of the border took off. The DR wasn't even thought of by the traveling public except as a place to avoid as they had dictators, soldiers shooting people, a repressed society,...well you get the picture (and this conception endures, even today).
Havana on the other hand was an open town of great parties and even better music, a gracious host to thousands of tourists (despite the fact that their "President" was also a dictator) and then after the revolution, a people who have suffered unjustly in the world's eyes at the hands of a "liberator," (yet another dictator just wearing a military uniform). And a huge Cuban contingent in the US (that has done well and further shown the US people their qualities) has kept their country and it's once-faded charms evident and further fueled the American desire to experience Cuba first-hand. Believe me, Americans are generally quite sympathetic to our Cuban friends.
The US public has an immense pent up demand to visit Cuba, which many Americans hold dearer to their heart than the DR. I'm not worried about a loss of European or Canadian visitors as yes, they have been visiting Cuba all along, but they are NOT the future of DR tourism as is the growing US market and they DON'T spend near as much as the Americans do (as a hotel owner I have first hand knowledge of this,...in fact they're quite tight compared to free-wheelin' American tourists). The DR might be attempting to upscale their tourism offerings, but take a look at WHO is staying in the $150-$200 a nights rooms. Europeans or Canadians? No, it's Americans who spend a lot more on vacations than any other leisure market in the world.
I see you have posted a poll and allready the overwhelming response seems to be one of concern for the DR. Rightly so. This country WILL suffer as world attention is turned toward rebuilding a down-trodden nation with huge investments, increased tourism and generally good will. I'm hoping I'm at least partly wrong and the powers that be in the DR will see this coming and change it's ways and tourism flourish and grow,...but I don't think so. The mindset just isn't there.
"If that is not the case, can someone list just ONE tourist destination on this earth that has been doomed due to increased competition?"
If you don't think this is true, just ask the people of the central Florida coasts and beach resorts once Disney World opened in Orlando. It's taken YEARS for these areas to recover.
Again this is a first-hand observation as I'm from Daytona Beach, "the World's Most Famous Beach," and I was there when this phenomenom occurred. If Daytona had not had it's Speed Weeks, Bike Week and Spring Break already in place it would have fallen even further than it did as one of the US's top tourist destinations.
If you don't think this is true, just ask the people of the central Florida coasts and beach resorts once Disney World opened in Orlando. It's taken YEARS for these areas to recover.
Again this is a first-hand observation as I'm from Daytona Beach, "the World's Most Famous Beach," and I was there when this phenomenom occurred. If Daytona had not had it's Speed Weeks, Bike Week and Spring Break already in place it would have fallen even further than it did as one of the US's top tourist destinations.
Chavez crushing victory legitimizes Castro's rule. To all the naysayers on this board the poor worldwide still prefer socialism over capitalism 100 to 1.
TV or no TV. Now let's wait for the wave of predictability from some posters.
Francisco Alberto, caramba!
"Legitimizes" the rule of a viscious dictator? If you had seen the bodies of dead Cubans and their crude rafts littering the Gulf Stram off Florida for the past 50 years escaping Cuban "socialism" you might have a little different view of both of these SOBs and what they really stand for. It ain't freedom, my friend.
I wouldn't link it to the US housing market, because my speculation is that DR real estate is for second homes, not primary residences. Cuba would be the same, except for those Dade Cubans who have been dreaming of repatriation for 45 years.
They're escaping poverty. Even former poster and arch-anticastrista Tony C conceded that.
If they're escaping socialism, then what are the Dominicans and Haitians escaping? Capitalism?
I prefer to take, by force, the results of a man's labor other than mine, too.
Even William Bradford abandoned socialism, too, when he saw the results. The industrious don't tolerate the lazy well.
Uh....maybe socialism breeds poverty.
Can someone point out a country that has capitalism as a system that is poverty stricken?
Socialism/Marxism/Communism destroys the burning human spirit, and replaces it with dependence on bureaucracy.
Castro owes my family a penthouse on a small hotel on the malecon. It was taken away from my father and grandfather right after the "revolution". My family had owned it since the early 40's, as they traveled and vacationed there often. I was told I went there as an infant, but don't remember.
Can we have it back? We still have the ownership documents.
And there are THOUSANDS of cases, many much, much larger, from families in S FL.
^^^Word! I remember those days very well.
Disney totally altered the Florida family vacation paradigm, just as Interstate Highways forever changed US 1, US 41, and US 301 in Florida.
I agree that what may affect the DR most is not folks choosing the Cuba over the DR, but the reduced ability for the DR to futher penetrate the US vacationer market-it may stagnate. It all depends on ~how~ Cuba changes, and how much the delta in costs are. As beautiful as the DR is, it competes on price, not beauty.
Not pockets of poverty, but poverty stricken (which is subjective, certainly) . For instance, I consider the DR poor, but not poverty stricken. Additionally, it is considered a rising economy with great potential. It is capitalism that has helped develop the country.
Perhaps the grand offer of immediate citizenship and US$5000 (or perhaps 7,500 or something - I don't remember the exact amount) has something to do with Cubans getting on their yolas. A year's salary in developing world terms.
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