>>> "My father is from Puerto Plata and I can tell you that P. Plata/Sosua was a gem 25 years ago. So was Boca Chica." <<<
Hi Natasha,
Just last nite Mrs. CES and I were talking about her recent holiday in Santo Domingo and she was lamenting the ruination of Boca Chica by over development (in spite of what Jim sez' about the virtuosity of Mega AI resorts
. She didn't have the hart to spend any time on the public beach this visit, the over crowding, etc.
>>> "Unfortunately, what I am afraid is going to happen to Punta Cana and DR's tourism in general. . . " <<<
This is defiantly an application of the theory of "MORE is LESS" in this case, the continued development of specific areas for tourism will have the same end result as the sugar cane plantation exploitation has had on the DR, nearly irreparable damage to the country.
The following is my view of what the Spaniards and other foreign nationals are doing to the DR:
DR1 2000 Archive
Re: Why all inclusive?
Posted By: CES <ambersa@jps.net>
Date: Sunday, 18 June 2000
In Response To: Why all inclusive? (Anette)
For the past week I've followed this developing message thread. The many correspondents have presented arguments for and against the "All Inclusive" resort experience and how it relates to the DR and the tourists that choose to use the services of a tour operator/ packager. One contributor even went as far as to describing some of the "guests" that one might find at an "AI" resort.
This is my 'take' on the mega AI (owned by off shore interests) situation in the DR. I have neither the time nor the inclination to research the facts to support what I'm about so say, but I have confidence in my 'gut' feeling and personal experiences.
For the benefit of those readers that aren't familiar with my personal information: I first visited the DR for one month in Dec. 1966, the occasion was our honeymoon as I had just married "una Cibae?a" one of the Cibaos' 'best'. I should also say that some day we will return to the DR for something more than a vacation. In the last 34 years we've (wife & two daughters) vacationed and lived (once) on the island.
I know that some of the regulars here are full time residents and/ or business owners in the DR and have first hand knowledge of any thing that I might say and will respond if I speak in ignorance.
The Dominican Republic that I first visited was still, sort of, the land of Trujillo, "el jefe". The DR was still a smallish island nation that depended on "az?car" (in part) to pay the governments' bills (mainly military), hell there were only six or seven Dominican ball players in all the USA. Every thing was small and inter island travel was tenuous at best, but I had "family" and was having the experience of a life time, so not
to worry. I guess I'm saying that I found the 'hart' of my new Dominican family transcended any thing that I might be lacking from the physical world.
Now the stage is 'set', the sleepy nation will tumble into the 20th century to take its' place some what reluctantly. Natures' beauty will be discovered, again (Columbus remarked that the new found island was the most beautiful place on the earth) and exploited for the sake of the all mighty $ $ $ $. Fortunes are to be made and work will be accomplished, and this beautiful and will never be the same. The way I see it the establishment of a mega AI (multinational) resort is, in a simplistic way, the strip mining of one of the islands' most valuable resources. The operation of a strip mine can follow two different, and opposing
paths. The path of total destruction will leave the landscape a broken, jumbled mess that is unusable for anything else. The more responsible path will reclaim the pit, the rebirth of the land so to speak. Try as they may, the final result will NEVER be the same as the original. If you apply this analogy to the creation of a mega AI resort you should see that the same holds true in each case. Responsible operators will try to put everything right but it will never be quite the same. The land has been changed for ever, period.
Things do not forebode well for the Saman? peninsula, in Andy's' post he mentions that 'big time' operators (off shore interests) are eyeing the area to establish one or more complexes. This will
destroy the unique experience being offer to the world traveler, for some the chance of a lifetime to be one with nature. If the large operators prevail, the north shore of Saman? will be destroyed, its' spirit will be lost for ever. The northern coast of the peninsula can not and will not allow the small resort to exist side by side with the large mega AI.
Susanne's' post has a blue print for the ideal Dominican vacation experience:
http://dominican-republic-news.com/board/index.cgi?read=30869
In closing let me say this, the large mega AI operations WILL take their excess profits off island for other uses, the small mom and pops WILL spend their money locally and more Dominicans WILL have a chance at realizing their dream.
Por Dios, all one has to do is look at how the sugar barons have impacted life in the DR for ever.
Regards,
. . . CES
