Puerto Plata is enjoying a record winter. For the month of February it has become difficult to find a room on the North Coast if not secured in advance. Puerto Plata Village marketing director Carolina Berges attributed this to the thousands of US tourists who have been booking their trips to the pioneer of Dominican tourist destinations. “The US again is eyeing Puerto Plata in a serious way. And the product has responded well,” she explained. According to Berges, the attitude of the staff of Puerto Plata hotels has a lot to do with this. Puerto Plata suffered when newer destinations such as Punta Cana conquered the travelers coming to the Dominican Republic. But, she says, lots of guests are returning and new ones are coming for the first time. “It’s the attitude of the people,” she said, explaining that most Puerto Plata workers live with their families in the same city, compared to East Coast staffs that usually reside in staff quarters on the hotel premises. She also attributed the best occupancy rates in the past 10 years to the arrival of the French tourists. The same vacationers who for years visited Martinique and Guadaloupe and are now coming to the Spanish Caribbean. The French are known for their mobility when travelling, and Puerto Plata is ideal for those who want to get around, visit the stores in town and enjoy the city parks, all within an hour’s distance. Berges mentioned that the Ocean World Park is furthermore contributing to the Puerto Plata’image of Puerto Plata.
January travel to Puerto Plata was up from 56,229 visitors in 2003 to 70,840 foreign arrivals in January 2004.