Russian tourists are not wasting time to book their vacations in the Dominican Republic. With Azur Air, Nordwind, Royal Flights, the direct flights are back. Aeroflot is expected to begin flights starting 1 October 2021.
On 5 September 2021, a Nordwind flight landed in Puerto Plata’s Gregorio Luperon International Airport filled with sun-seeking tourists. Pegas Touristik sold the tourism packages for the tourists arrived on the Russian airline flight. 430 tourists arrived on flight NWS351 from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport on the SVO-POP-SVO route. The airline required the tourists to have had a PCR to test for Covid-19 72 hours before boarding.
The Nordwind Airlines aircraft was received with the traditional baptism by two fire trucks.
Stephanie Kfouri for the Ministry of Tourism, Puerto Plata Senator Ginette Bournigal and representatives of Aerodom Carlos Rodoli, director of the Airports of Puerto Plata and Samaná and Luis José López Mena, director of corporate communication, also attended the return of the Russian flight. Russians are the third largest source market for tourists in Puerto Plata after the United States and Canada.
Nordwind has also scheduled flights to Samana’s International Airport.
Russian tourists can also again fly direct from Moscow to Punta Cana. As of 31 August, Royal Flights reinstated its charter flights to Punta Cana. The airline is working with the Coral Travel tour operator, reports Dominican ambassador in Russia, Hans Dannenberg. Dannenberg’s efforts have been key in reinstating the Russian flights and selling of the Dominican destination to Russian tourists.
The first Russian airline to reinstate flights was Azur Air that began traveling to La Romana International Airport on 9 August 2021. Dannenberg says that Aeroflot should resume in October 2021. He expects a boom in the number of new cities from where travel agents will be selling packages to the Dominican Republic this year. He highlighted the importance of the new flights for trade in general between both countries. Exporters can take advantage of the cargo facilities offered by the returning flights to send fresh tropical produce.
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Ministry of Tourism
Acento
7 September 2021