Puerto Plata prostitution and its effect on the local economy

[ctrob]

Really ?

Maybe at one time. But even then it was a collection of small AI's. So to say it was the largest AI in the world is a bit misleading.

Playa Dorada has changed a lot since that wikitravel thing was written. There are now a lot of permanent residences, and a few hundred more coming out of the ground. And more on the drawing board.

 

[the gorgon]

Maybe at one time. But even then it was a collection of small AI's. So to say it was the largest AI in the world is a bit misleading.

Playa Dorada has changed a lot since that wikitravel thing was written. There are now a lot of permanent residences, and a few hundred more coming out of the ground. And more on the drawing board.

so, go correct the guys who so declared it. since you are aware ofthe measurement yardsticks they used to arrive at the characterizations, maybe you can compile your own numbers, and you can dispute their numbers, and settle the matter, once and for all.

 

[LTSteve]

Everyone here probably already know of the reputation of Sosua and Cabarete.....Prostitution.

Lets get straight to the point - Sosua and Cabarete used to be great vacation spots for families but now have been taken over by the Sex tourism crowd and all the evils that follow said group. We all have heard of the mistreatment and quite frequent sexual abuse the prostitutes/minors face by the hands of the costumers and authorities.
After the signing of new contracts with foreign investors the government is now looking to turn Puerto Plata into a high class tourist destination https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FECL11XRkc
With this new found interest from investors on the zone, the debate on prostitution and its effects on the population has been renewed. Recently a DR news station did a report on whether we should change the laws on prostitution, its effects on the local economy , who visits these locations looking for sex , what do the prostitutes think of the situation and what the government is doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvAyM-I7GaA
For those who do not have the time to watch a 20 min video here is what we learn:
1)Effect on the local economy
after the family friendly tourism died down due to the spread of prostitution the province Lost ~7,000 jobs, government revenue and caused the closing of over 7,000 hotel rooms. This pushes the local women and some men into prostitution.
2)Who ?
The grand majority of the sex tourists are African American men with a minority of Europeans. As for the prostitutes, many are of Haitian origin and well as women from other provinces of the DR.
3)why do they do it?
as to no surprise they do it for their kids and some of are sent forcefully by their husbands/boyfriends.
4)what do the local women think of the current situation?
women do not want to go out during night time alone or accompanied due to the harassment of the sex tourists who believe that all the women are prostitutes.

My personal opinion: As a Dominican i believe that Sosua and Cabarete need to be cleaned up and returned to its former self as it provides higher development and higher revenue to everyone involved including the locals. right now you search up Sosua on Youtube and all you will see is perverts promoting sosua as a "haven" for sick individuals looking for cheap sex and spreading thuggish behavior. some of which come here looking for minors. It is honestly a shame and would feel sorry if the Jewish refugees who founded said town knew what their haven has been turned into.
i for once am happy that the government seems to finally be planning to clean Puerto Plata. Knowing the background of most of these "tourists" i know for a fact that they will soon start using their favorite R-Card and once again blame us of R.....

Sousa has been a hot spot for prostitution for 40 years. Most families coming to the Sosua/Cabarate area are not found in the downtown bar areas of Sosua at 10 PM at night. If you are looking for that kind of action than you probably would not be there with your wife and children. As long as prostitution is legal in the DR these areas will exist and bring in the type of clientele looking for this activity. The DR has many tourist areas that appeal to families. Parts of Sosua does not fit this criteria. It really is a question of demand and supply. As long as there are men who come to Sosua for this purpose than this will continue to exist in Sosua. Obviously you are not a fan and I can understand why, however many men coming to the area are drawn by the lure of legal prostitution. In a developing country it all comes down to simple economics. Cash is king.

 

[CristoRey]

It really is a question of demand and supply. As long as there are men who come to Sosua for this purpose than this will continue to exist in Sosua.

I think many men who come to Sosua would be doing so regardless
of whether or not prostitution is legal. The women here (for the most part)
are beautiful and the cost to vacation in Sosua /DR is cheap when compared
to some of the other Caribbean destinations.

Demand vs Supply? Which came first (no pun intended) the prostitute or
the john? Too funny. I've had a lot of discussions about this very topic with
my Dominican friends and every single one of them says the exact same
thing. If every single gringo on the island packed up and left tomorrow we'd have
just as many prostitutes as we have now, the only difference would be the
prices. (meaning they would be much lower)

Unfortunately LT you (like many before you)
seem not to want to address the BIG WHITE ELEPHANT in the room.

 

[cavok]

Sousa has been a hot spot for prostitution for 40 years. Most families coming to the Sosua/Cabarate area are not found in the downtown bar areas of Sosua at 10 PM at night. If you are looking for that kind of action than you probably would not be there with your wife and children. As long as prostitution is legal in the DR these areas will exist and bring in the type of clientele looking for this activity. The DR has many tourist areas that appeal to families. Parts of Sosua does not fit this criteria. It really is a question of demand and supply. As long as there are men who come to Sosua for this purpose than this will continue to exist in Sosua. Obviously you are not a fan and I can understand why, however many men coming to the area are drawn by the lure of legal prostitution. In a developing country it all comes down to simple economics. Cash is king.

No way. POP only opened in 1979 and had a relatively small runway and terminal that couldn't handle today's wide body jets. Very few people even heard of Sosua back in the 80's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorio_Luperón_International_Airport

 

[cavok]

Maybe at one time. But even then it was a collection of small AI's. So to say it was the largest AI in the world is a bit misleading.

Playa Dorada has changed a lot since that wikitravel thing was written. There are now a lot of permanent residences, and a few hundred more coming out of the ground. And more on the drawing board.

Playa Dorado Resort is a planned resort area that includes over a dozen indepndent AI's(as well as condo's and villas) - much the same as Punta Cana.

It might have been the largest back in the 80's and 90's, but Punta Cana has far more AI's than PD now. I'd be willing to bet that PC is the largest AI resort area in the world now.

 

[jd426]

so, go correct the guys who so declared it. since you are aware ofthe measurement yardsticks they used to arrive at the characterizations, maybe you can compile your own numbers, and you can dispute their numbers, and settle the matter, once and for all.

Do they have more than 1,790 Rooms or Units ? along with 23 Pools , an 18 Hole Golf Course . 65,000 square feet of Meeting Space .
because as we said in a prev thread they would need at least that to equal Hard Rock in Punta Cana ..

so why dont YOU tell us what they have ,, instead of just posting a link which says nothing more than
" Playa Dorada is the world's largest all inclusive resort near Puerto Plata on the North coast of the Dominican Republic."

give us some Stats ... why is it your posts are usually no more than ONE liners ..with nothing to support it ,, and the OTHER person is supposed to do YOUR Research for you.

Playa Dorado Resort is a planned resort area that includes over a dozen indepndent AI's(as well as condo's and villas) - much the same as Punta Cana.

It might have been the largest back in the 80's and 90's, but Punta Cana has far more AI's than PD now. I'd be willing to bet that PC is the largest AI resort area in the world now.

If what you say is accurate that its a " cluster of independent AI's " , then Punta Cana Area has them beat by a LONG shot ...
and wiki travel is nothing more than a bad Google experience ,and false information .
INDEPENDENT AI's .. does not equal ONE AI..

 

[cavok]

Do they have more than 1,790 Rooms or Units ? along with 23 Pools , an 18 Hole Golf Course . 65,000 square feet of Meeting Space .
because as we said in a prev thread they would need at least that to equal Hard Rock in Punta Cana ..

so why dont YOU tell us what they have ,, instead of just posting a link which says nothing more than
" Playa Dorada is the world's largest all inclusive resort near Puerto Plata on the North coast of the Dominican Republic."

give us some Stats ... why is it your posts are usually no more than ONE liners ..with nothing to support it ,, and the OTHER person is supposed to do YOUR Research for you.








If what you say is accurate that its a " cluster of independent AI's " , then Punta Cana Area has them beat by a LONG shot ...
and wiki travel is nothing more than a bad Google experience ,and false information .
INDEPENDENT AI's .. does not equal ONE AI..

That's all there is - 12-14 independent all-inclusive resorts. Can't find the link right now, but you can go on Google Earth and count them.

Playa Dorado is not that big - they have maybe a mile and a half of beach front. Many of the AI's are not directly on the beach.

Compare that to Punta Cana with over 25 miles of beachfront and at least 60 all-inclusive resorts. PC has PD beat by a long shot.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-...ican-Republic:Resorts.By.Number.Of.Rooms.html

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

The majority of AI resorts in the Puerto Plata area can no longer afford to offer the travel companies rooms at a price that would allow them to package a flight, accommodation and AI fees into a deal for a price in the sweet spot range of $900 - $1400. High airport fees at POP are also a contributing factor.

All tourists have a budget and will usually choose a trip that is priced around the mid point of their price range, hedging that paying more than minimum gets them a bit more quality than the cheapest packages and not spending the maximum for what is often perceived as dubious tangible benefits over the mid priced options. We are talking the majority of tourists here, couples, and families. Getting a family of 4 to the DR and into a resort at an affordable price requires very favorable accommodation pricing for the travel company, usually in the $100/week price range for a room and a separate discount on the AI fees.

One can easily deduce a reasonable figure to use as a base price for a seat on an aircraft be it a charter service or a flight on a regular airline. Add to that the cost per person for a room, add the daily AI fee and then add the desired profit for the travel company and there is not much room left to meet customer pricing expectations here on the North coast.

To be honest, there is nothing here to attract families and the majority of casual tourists. Available off resort excursion selections are mediocre to poor. Most are not of interests to little kids and none of particular interest to anyone who has stayed in this area before. The cost vs benefit ratio can be a bit high. The cruise ships have the North Coast pegged. Come with your own accommodations, for the most part control the off ship activities of guests, spend 12 hours in and around Puerto Plata (most likely at Amber Cove) and then leave for somewhere else.

High end resorts and those that cater to children's themes and activities can't carve out a niche these days outside of Punta Cana where the sheer volume of tourist arrivals allows for a lower individual price point or at least the opportunity for a themed resort to cherry pick their clientele.

The writing is on the wall. Short term cash growth is centred on the short term cruise ship guest or the repeat airline arrivals that come to the North Coast for some specific reason other than simply sitting at a resort bar or buffet and indulging all the time. For Puerto Plata to recapture a significant chunk of the tourist market, someone needs to open up a grand offering such as Disney Land or Jurassic Park to regenerate interest in coming here in the first place. Any additional investment in new or remodeled resorts on the North Coast will not be sufficient to recapture or offset the current appeal and pricing deals available to travel companies that are being offered in Punta Cana.

I dare say, the only real option for the North Coast at this point, barring divine intervention, is the sustained world wide marketing of this area as the primo year round Caribbean retirement destination and delivering the infrastructure to make that claim a reality. The heyday of the North coast has come and gone. Potentially not yet lost lost forever, but I do not see it likely that the massive changes needed for an AI tourist turnaround will happen. Eventually Punta Cana will lose it's appeal too. Then, somewhere else will become the new DR Mecca in a repeat performance following in the tradition of Puerto Plata and Punta Cana. This is what this country does - Boom to bust and repeat.

There is no sustained interest currently in revamping the North Coast. All we have are a few investors willing to gamble on making a buck or two by poaching the tourists that still do come here or resort owners who are looking for a property to use as a tax write-off for the more profitable properties in their existing holdings.

 

[the gorgon]

Do they have more than 1,790 Rooms or Units ? along with 23 Pools , an 18 Hole Golf Course . 65,000 square feet of Meeting Space .
because as we said in a prev thread they would need at least that to equal Hard Rock in Punta Cana ..

so why dont YOU tell us what they have ,, instead of just posting a link which says nothing more than
" Playa Dorada is the world's largest all inclusive resort near Puerto Plata on the North coast of the Dominican Republic."

give us some Stats ... why is it your posts are usually no more than ONE liners ..with nothing to support it ,, and the OTHER person is supposed to do YOUR Research for you.








If what you say is accurate that its a " cluster of independent AI's " , then Punta Cana Area has them beat by a LONG shot ...
and wiki travel is nothing more than a bad Google experience ,and false information .
INDEPENDENT AI's .. does not equal ONE AI..

if you took some time to read the article, you would see where it says that the complex has 14 hotels. 13 of which are all inclusive. i am not going to do research for people who do not read an article.

i am not going to argue this with you. if you equate a complete tourist destination, which is what Punta Cana is, with a single , self contained tourism plant, which is what Playa Dorada is, i am not going to squander valuable time debating with you.

 

[ctrob]

Self Contained Tourism Plant? What the heck is dat? I thought it was the Worlds Largest All Inclusive?

You like moving the goal posts, Huh G?

Ok, Back to basics....the wikitravel info you keep referring to is very outdated. Those numbers aren't even close to being accurate. I think Playa Dorada is on it's way to being 50/50 permanent residences and AI rooms. Why is that hard to swallow? Things change.

I also predict you will see better options for buying groceries and basics inside the PD gates. Nothing too big, because it's hard to compete with Jumbo. But something like a medium sized colmaldo, people can drive their golf cart to and buy eggs and bread.

And of course none of this has anything to do with prostitution. Unless you want to factor in Field of Dreams across the street. Which recently went thru a name change. I'm guessing they have the same staff though. That's scary.

 

[Garyexpat]

I think there are a few facts that are often skipped when the conversation of Sosua being a monger destination vs family destination.
Even if you stopped all prostitution tomorrow in Sosua that doesn't mean families start planning their trips to Sosua. There is needed marketing to pull from the competition, Punta Cana being number 1 in this category. I don't watch T.V. but stream some things and see advertising for Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, Barbados (these are just some off the top of my head). I happen to love Sosua beach but it doesn't' compare in scope with many other destinations (yes I know there are other beaches in Puerto Plata Providence). Punta Cana also has the advantage of having a privately owned airport and since the Ranieri family also are owners of a resort I would bet it is a much friendlier/cheaper date than POP.(for the record Punta Cana is my least favorite part of the island, except for Boca Chica).
It's not "Field of Dreams" If you (get rid of the hos) they will come (in fact I guess they would come less.....) Sorry I digress.
The Government would have to be convinced to either transfer allotted marketing and advertising funs from the east to the north or add more funds.
I for one disagree with the poster claiming that prostitution destroyed north coast business,,,just look to the east.

 

[cavok]

I don't know who the developers of PD are, but they bought the site, put in the golf course, roads, electric, and other necessary infrastructure, and then sold off parcels to different all-inclusive resorts.

Punta Cana is exactly the same. The land was purchased by Punta Cana Corporation(the developers)and they brought in all the roads, electric, and other necessary infrastructure - including building the the Punta Cana International Airport, and then sold off parcels to different all-inclusive resorts.

Punta Cana really became a success inspite of the DR government. Punta Cana Corportion fought with the DR government for over 5 years before finally getting approval to build PC Int'l. I think the big money invested in PD saw the writing on the wall and did everything possible to block development of PC.

 

[the gorgon]

Self Contained Tourism Plant? What the heck is dat? I thought it was the Worlds Largest All Inclusive?

You like moving the goal posts, Huh G?

Ok, Back to basics....the wikitravel info you keep referring to is very outdated. Those numbers aren't even close to being accurate. I think Playa Dorada is on it's way to being 50/50 permanent residences and AI rooms. Why is that hard to swallow? Things change.

I also predict you will see better options for buying groceries and basics inside the PD gates. Nothing too big, because it's hard to compete with Jumbo. But something like a medium sized colmaldo, people can drive their golf cart to and buy eggs and bread.

And of course none of this has anything to do with prostitution. Unless you want to factor in Field of Dreams across the street. Which recently went thru a name change. I'm guessing they have the same staff though. That's scary.

as much as my better angels tell me not to waste time debating you, you are the one moving the goalpost. i said the worlds largest all inclusive OPERATION. that is like what there is at Playa Dorada. a dedicated plant for tourism facilities. comparing Playa Dorada to Punta Cana is like comparing a Zona Franca to a city.

is this that difficult?

since the wiki data is outdated, how about you link us to a similar complex, anywhere in the world, which is more expansive?

 

[Lobo Tropical]

Everyone here probably already know of the reputation of Sosua and Cabarete.....Prostitution.

Lets get straight to the point - Sosua and Cabarete used to be great vacation spots for families but now have been taken over by the Sex tourism crowd and all the evils that follow said group. We all have heard of the mistreatment and quite frequent sexual abuse the prostitutes/minors face by the hands of the costumers and authorities.
After the signing of new contracts with foreign investors the government is now looking to turn Puerto Plata into a high class tourist destination https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FECL11XRkc
With this new found interest from investors on the zone, the debate on prostitution and its effects on the population has been renewed. Recently a DR news station did a report on whether we should change the laws on prostitution, its effects on the local economy , who visits these locations looking for sex , what do the prostitutes think of the situation and what the government is doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvAyM-I7GaA
For those who do not have the time to watch a 20 min video here is what we learn:
1)Effect on the local economy
after the family friendly tourism died down due to the spread of prostitution the province Lost ~7,000 jobs, government revenue and caused the closing of over 7,000 hotel rooms. This pushes the local women and some men into prostitution.
2)Who ?
The grand majority of the sex tourists are African American men with a minority of Europeans. As for the prostitutes, many are of Haitian origin and well as women from other provinces of the DR.
3)why do they do it?
as to no surprise they do it for their kids and some of are sent forcefully by their husbands/boyfriends.
4)what do the local women think of the current situation?
women do not want to go out during night time alone or accompanied due to the harassment of the sex tourists who believe that all the women are prostitutes.

My personal opinion: As a Dominican i believe that Sosua and Cabarete need to be cleaned up and returned to its former self as it provides higher development and higher revenue to everyone involved including the locals. right now you search up Sosua on Youtube and all you will see is perverts promoting sosua as a "haven" for sick individuals looking for cheap sex and spreading thuggish behavior. some of which come here looking for minors. It is honestly a shame and would feel sorry if the Jewish irefugees who founded said town knew what their haven has been turned into.
i for once am happy that the government seems to finally be planning to clean Puerto Plata. Knowing the background of most of these "tourists" i know for a fact that they will soon start using their favorite R-Card and once again blame us of R.....

You're obviously a sexpert with an agenda and a star that doesn't shine too bright.
Good on you.
Get those pesky tourists under control.
Next start working on your people.
Mission accomplished.
P.S.
You missed to mention Santiago, S.D. and Punta Cana along with all the local barrios.

 

[franco1111]

It appears that Playa Dorada is a "complex," that includes 14 hotels and other fine amenities. As of March 2017. It is not one AI.

"Playa Dorada is a hotel / resort complex in the district of Puerto Plata on the Northern Coast of “The Dom Rep”, the resort which is the worlds largest all inclusive resort complex, comprises currently 14 hotels, an 18 hole golf course, a shopping plaza featuring shops and a cinema, bars, restaurants, casino and nightclubs. Best of all though is the golden beach which stretches for over 3 miles and also offers some good snorkelling opportunities as well as other watersports which vary by hotel."

https://deals.org.uk/holidays-in-playa-dorada-dom-rep/

So, maybe this is a little misleading. "Playa Dorada is the world's largest all inclusive resort near Puerto Plata on the North coast of the Dominican Republic."

https://wikitravel.org/en/Playa_Dorada

Another take on it from one of the resorts. "Puerto Plata Village is located in the northern city of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. It’s one part of the famous Playa Dorada Complex, which comprises world-renowned all-inclusive resort destinations. This means that you and your family won’t only benefit from Puerto Plata Village’s many amenities, but an entire community centered on indulgence, excitement and recreation."

http://puertoplatavillage.com/

Sounds like a success. It would be interesting to know if it was one master plan, one owner/developer.

 

[the gorgon]

It appears that Playa Dorada is a "complex," that includes 14 hotels and other fine amenities. As of March 2017. It is not one AI.

"Playa Dorada is a hotel / resort complex in the district of Puerto Plata on the Northern Coast of “The Dom Rep”, the resort which is the worlds largest all inclusive resort complex, comprises currently 14 hotels, an 18 hole golf course, a shopping plaza featuring shops and a cinema, bars, restaurants, casino and nightclubs. Best of all though is the golden beach which stretches for over 3 miles and also offers some good snorkelling opportunities as well as other watersports which vary by hotel."

https://deals.org.uk/holidays-in-playa-dorada-dom-rep/

So, maybe this is a little misleading. "Playa Dorada is the world's largest all inclusive resort near Puerto Plata on the North coast of the Dominican Republic."

https://wikitravel.org/en/Playa_Dorada

Another take on it from one of the resorts. "Puerto Plata Village is located in the northern city of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. It’s one part of the famous Playa Dorada Complex, which comprises world-renowned all-inclusive resort destinations. This means that you and your family won’t only benefit from Puerto Plata Village’s many amenities, but an entire community centered on indulgence, excitement and recreation."

http://puertoplatavillage.com/

Sounds like a success. It would be interesting to know if it was one master plan, one owner/developer.

well, last time i went to Playa Dorada, which was just last week, it had a main entrance gate, and a secondary gate some distance away. they were both manned by security officers. that gave me the impression that it was a self contained plant.

this is where guys like jd426 and ctrob get to tell me where the manned security gates are to the village of Punta Cana.

 

[ctrob]

well, last time i went to Playa Dorada, which was just last week, it had a main entrance gate, and a secondary gate some distance away. they were both manned by security officers. that gave me the impression that it was a self contained plant.

this is where guys like jd426 and ctrob get to tell me where the manned security gates are to the village of Punta Cana.

You quoted a 20 year old wikitravel assessment about Playa Dorada. And now we're talking about....gates?

You're a funny guy.

 

[dv8]

do you mind to cut your petty, pathetic, paltry arguments out and consider going back to the main point of this discussion: LAS PUTAS?
any more posts arguing playa dorada will be deleted.

 

[bigbird]

do you mind to cut your petty, pathetic, paltry arguments out and consider going back to the main point of this discussion: LAS PUTAS?
any more posts arguing playa dorada will be deleted.

whoa, you must have been taking a nap to let this go on that long.

Now somewhat relevant but I wonder if these "females" like being referred to as la puta or ho? I know in Sosua there are some real hardcore working girls who worked hard to be a street rat but some of these females in other parts of the country would take big offense if you called them a la puta to their face. ............. Don't change the dynamics, just wondering.