Leading German tour operator TUI is betting on an increase in German travel to the Dominican Republic. The company launched its Summer 2008 program during an event held in Punta Cana last week. “The Dominican Republic is the most important long-haul destination for TUI,” said Volker Bottcher, managing director of TUI. He explained that 20% of TUI clients travel to the Dominican Republic. The company is the largest carrier of Germans to Punta Cana, Samana and Puerto Plata. Bottcher forecast a two-point increase in travel from Germany this year.
During the presentation Bottcher emphasized that the DR is much more than beaches. He stressed the country’s cultural attractions, with many beach packages now including two nights in Santo Domingo. For the event, 85 specialized travel reporters came from Europe. He announced that taking into account advanced booking discounts, prices for summer 2008 would remain at 2007 levels. He said the increase in the cost of aviation fuel affects the cost of travel, but the company will compensate with the depreciation of the US dollar to the Euro. “From that perspective, costs balance out,” he explained.
He said that TUI finished summer 2007 with a 10% increase in number of travelers, and announced that sales were up 8% compared to last year.