Will Cuba opening its doors to USA affect DR tourism ?

[the gorgon]

Quite sober.

It has been well publicized by government that the objective of the DR is to have 10 million tourists by the year 2022. My projection was by 2025 allowing some flexibility.

They have four year strategic planning and are ahead of schedule already in the latest plan.

The total numbers of tourist arrivals excluding domestic tourism was 5,141.377 for 2014. Already in the first six moths of 2015 there has been a 7.3% increase. The rate of increase of the past few years is consistent with the planned growth.

There were 4000 new beds under construction at the beginning of the year and since then we have had a raft of new hotels announced so perhaps that number has doubled and more. A further $2.3 billion of hospitality developments are due to break ground very shortly. We are talking at least 15,000 or so new beds in the shorter term.

The airport at Punta Cana is being extended, and there is plenty of spare capacity to expand traffic flow in other airports and further expansions planned.

A new passenger cruise terminal is being prepared at Maimon and the projected inflow of tourist from that in 3 years is a minimum of 600,000 annually.

More than 65% of tourist traffic from overseas arrives in Punta Cana/LR and their is great potential for more tourism growth in that area with all the new roads and empty beaches. There is huge development potential all the way up the east coast to Miches where there are 4 hotels due to be announced later this year.

There are a number of new hotel developments underway and in the pipeline for Santo Domingo which diversifies the tourist base.

A major resort has been announced in to the south west of Bani and this will open this area. Higher end tourism developments in both Samana and Barahona/Pedernales are in the pipeline.

And the US accounts for 40% of arrivals,with steadily increasing inflows from Europe, South America, Canada and Asia too.

And outside all this there are real estate developments and domestic tourism.

Realistic yes.......even with competition form Cuba and the rest of the Caribbean who all can benefit from increased tourism growth following years of recession in many developed countries.

A number of 7m per annum by 2018 is looking very achievable indeed without domestic tourism considered.

The numbers stack up and perhaps only a global shock such as we had a few years back can alter this.

Sadly PoP has become a backwater and clouds ones thinking of the rest of DR especially the East Coast when it comes to tourism.

in the event that you get some free time, pleasr read this working paper regarding dimisging returns to tourism specialization

http://www.rcfea.org/RePEc/pdf/wp41_09.pdf

 

[Hector L]

American tourists will flock to Cuba and many of those are ones who currently come to the DR. The DR mistreatment of Haitians will only increase the numbers of regular DR vistiors to a location not so interested in ethnic cleansing. Who would have thought that Cuba would become a destination for those who support human rights and find difficulty with the current attitude of the government toward Haiti.

 

[bob saunders]

Well Hector once the tourists see how black Cubans are treated they may change their minds, plus there isn't any mistreatment of Haitians. What are you talking about.

 

[Criss Colon]

Quite sober.

It has been well publicized by government that the objective of the DR is to have 10 million tourists by the year 2022. My projection was by 2025 allowing some flexibility.

They have four year strategic planning and are ahead of schedule already in the latest plan.

The total numbers of tourist arrivals excluding domestic tourism was 5,141.377 for 2014. Already in the first six moths of 2015 there has been a 7.3% increase. The rate of increase of the past few years is consistent with the planned growth.

There were 4000 new beds under construction at the beginning of the year and since then we have had a raft of new hotels announced so perhaps that number has doubled and more. A further $2.3 billion of hospitality developments are due to break ground very shortly. We are talking at least 15,000 or so new beds in the shorter term.

The airport at Punta Cana is being extended, and there is plenty of spare capacity to expand traffic flow in other airports and further expansions planned.

A new passenger cruise terminal is being prepared at Maimon and the projected inflow of tourist from that in 3 years is a minimum of 600,000 annually.

More than 65% of tourist traffic from overseas arrives in Punta Cana/LR and their is great potential for more tourism growth in that area with all the new roads and empty beaches. There is huge development potential all the way up the east coast to Miches where there are 4 hotels due to be announced later this year.

There are a number of new hotel developments underway and in the pipeline for Santo Domingo which diversifies the tourist base.

A major resort has been announced in to the south west of Bani and this will open this area. Higher end tourism developments in both Samana and Barahona/Pedernales are in the pipeline.

And the US accounts for 40% of arrivals,with steadily increasing inflows from Europe, South America, Canada and Asia too.

And outside all this there are real estate developments and domestic tourism.

Realistic yes.......even with competition form Cuba and the rest of the Caribbean who all can benefit from increased tourism growth following years of recession in many developed countries.

A number of 7m per annum by 2018 is looking very achievable indeed without domestic tourism considered.

The numbers stack up and perhaps only a global shock such as we had a few years back can alter this.

Sadly PoP has become a backwater and clouds ones thinking of the rest of DR especially the East Coast when it comes to tourism.

PICHARDO could not have said it better!!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

When I went to an All Inclusive in Cuba, I have never felt as welcomed by the staff!!!!!
The DR can't compare.

Bob's Agenda is showing!!!!!
I saw no one being mistreated in Cuba, including the "Blacks".
Your "Dog Don't Hunt" Bob!!!!

 

[wrecksum]

American tourists will flock to Cuba and many of those are ones who currently come to the DR. The DR mistreatment of Haitians will only increase the numbers of regular DR vistiors to a location not so interested in ethnic cleansing. Who would have thought that Cuba would become a destination for those who support human rights and find difficulty with the current attitude of the government toward Haiti.

Maybe so but most of the Merican tourists never even heard of Haytee let alone care about its relations vis a vis the DR..!!

 

[mykulairon]

Not much difference between the DR and Cuba. Both Ex Slave Trading islands that were integrated and basically taken over by the large black population (or reclaimed, rather). They both have similar infrastructural problems such as roadways, aging bridges, insufficient water and water quality control, etc. The one thing that Cuba does have over every other Caribbean Island is that they have been somewhat self sufficient over the past 4-5 decades. Not to mention it's about 100 miles from the coast of Florida

 

[Kipling333]

All pie in the sky stuff ..no one knows or has the smallest idea of when this freeing up will occur or what the prices of tourist hotels in Cuba will be or whether the DR and Cuba as the two largest spanish speaking countries in the caribbean will make a joint tourist campaign . No one knows whether the Cubans will resent the American gringos coming in large numbers and no one knows whether Puerta Plata will take off again and the North will be popular again . I have more confidence in the hotel owners who are expanding their hotels in the DR than any toothsayer here

 

[Kipling333]

mykulairon ..being 100 miles from the coast of Florida is an advantage or disadvantage in your opinion

 

[bob saunders]

Not much difference between the DR and Cuba. Both Ex Slave Trading islands that were integrated and basically taken over by the large black population (or reclaimed, rather). They both have similar infrastructural problems such as roadways, aging bridges, insufficient water and water quality control, etc. The one thing that Cuba does have over every other Caribbean Island is that they have been somewhat self sufficient over the past 4-5 decades. Not to mention it's about 100 miles from the coast of Florida

Self sufficient - what world do you live in? They were heavily subsidized by the USSR for 30 plus years, and Venezuela for the past 15. As any honest Cuban what life was like during the special period after the collapse of the USSR.

 

[bob saunders]

PICHARDO could not have said it better!!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

When I went to an All Inclusive in Cuba, I have never felt as welcomed by the staff!!!!!
The DR can't compare.

Bob's Agenda is showing!!!!!
I saw no one being mistreated in Cuba, including the "Blacks".
Your "Dog Don't Hunt" Bob!!!!

So your one experience in Cuba make you an expert. I've had good treatment by all the staff in every resort I've stayed in the DR. Experienced the same in Costa Rica. Best hospitality I've ever got was at a dude ranch in Canada , followed by a golf resort in North Carolina.
Who's agenda is showing. I don't have one, but it appears you do. I 'm off to south America for 20 days and I report back on the hospitality of south Americans.

 

[aarhus]

All pie in the sky stuff ..no one knows or has the smallest idea of when this freeing up will occur or what the prices of tourist hotels in Cuba will be or whether the DR and Cuba as the two largest spanish speaking countries in the caribbean will make a joint tourist campaign . No one knows whether the Cubans will resent the American gringos coming in large numbers and no one knows whether Puerta Plata will take off again and the North will be popular again . I have more confidence in the hotel owners who are expanding their hotels in the DR than any toothsayer here

Correct. There has not really been announced any major changes in the Cuban system with changes towards a market economy. The only change being a change of policy between the US and Cuba. The best news from Cuba in my opinion until now was the opening of 35 wifi spots in Havana. But it is expensive. Not many Cubans can afford it. A service provided by the Cuban government for its people but paid for by the little savings they have. All businesses in Cuba by foreigners in Cuba still has to be JVs with the Cuban government. It really has not changed much. Cuba is not opening up. That is an idea invented by the media.

 

[b?rbaro]

Correct. There has not really been announced any major changes in the Cuban system with changes towards a market economy. The only change being a change of policy between the US and Cuba. The best news from Cuba in my opinion until now was the opening of 35 wifi spots in Havana. But it is expensive. Not many Cubans can afford it. A service provided by the Cuban government for its people but paid for by the little savings they have. All businesses in Cuba by foreigners in Cuba still has to be JVs with the Cuban government. It really has not changed much. Cuba is not opening up. That is an idea invented by the media.

I second that!!

Cuba has one of the world's lowest internet penetration rate. I've been living here in Cuba for nearly 2 months and besides wifi cards costing 2$ per hour (a month ago it was 4,5$ per hour), the only change you see here is the wind.

For those who say dominicans have to learn this or that... perhaps they have to, but I know many domincan managers here, specially chefs, and dominicans came to spend vacations here. When you see a cuban from the island vacating in the DR, just send me an email!!!!

This island is lacking so much things, the list is just endless. Freedom just to start with.

Infrastructure is NOT ready to receive a significant amount of US tourists.

Here is all fa?ade

 

[windeguy]

Trip Advisor on Cuba

http://www.travelzoo.com/blog/2016-wow-deal-destinations-cuba/

 

[Kipling333]

I also can enter Cuba with just a card at the airport but having been there several times , I can tell people first hand that Cuba is decades behind the DR in terms of infrastructure and tourist facilities and it is not cheap. I do not know where the socialist government of Cuba would quickly find the money to half match what we have already in the DR .. At present it may be ok to satisfy curiosity or to receive medical treatment , but at present once is once enough .

 

[4*4*4]

At present it may be ok to satisfy curiosity or to receive medical treatment , but at present once is once enough .

Kipling, you don't see Cuba rapidly building some 5 star hotels and clubs to entice some of the South Beach or Punta Cana crowd?

 

[Meemselle]

There will be a bump, but it won't be the Punta Cana crowd. It will be the more adventurous travelers. The people who come tothe DR and stay in Punta Cana (80% of the tourists to the DR) will continue to come to the DR. Heck: most of them don't even know they are in the DR. They think they are in somewhere called Punta Cana.

 

[4*4*4]

most of them don't even know they are in the DR.

Haha!!!! We met a couple a few weeks ago that said they had just returned from Punta Cana and loved it!! I immediately said my wife is Dominican with proud enthusiasm. They responded with such blank expressions that I didn't even bother to connect the dots.

 

[Meemselle]

Haha!!!! We met a couple a few weeks ago that said they had just returned from Punta Cana and loved it!! I immediately said my wife is Dominican with proud enthusiasm. They responded with such blank expressions that I didn't even bother to connect the dots.

I rest my case.

 

[Kipling333]

Kipling, you don't see Cuba rapidly building some 5 star hotels and clubs to entice some of the South Beach or Punta Cana crowd?

In response, at present Havana does not have one 4 star hotel but a few could be renovated. Already on a few beaches a few of the international companies have 3 or 4 star resorts . In relation to the building of real 5 star resorts as good as the best in Punta Cana , I doubt if Cuba itself will build them and I dare say that one or two international companies such as Marriot or Hilton or Barcelo may build a resort with golf course and beach to attract the crowd you mention but this would not challenge the position held in Punta Cana with so many places such as Hard Rock, Punta Cana Resort or Cap Cana or even IberoStar and Casa de Campo

 

[SKY]

Varadero Beach in Cuba has several AIs.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g147275-zff10-Varadero_Matanzas_Province_Cuba-Hotels.html