In an interview with Hoy, long-time tourism consultant Juan Lladó pointed out that social peace is the added value of tourism in the Dominican Republic. Lladó said that the other two key qualities that make the country the most competitive destination in the Caribbean are the friendliness of the people and attractive pricing.
Lladó explained that social peace is a vital for the destination to maintain the levels of competitiveness it has been able to achieve. “There is not one thing that scares tourism away more than any disorder or shooting. That damages the image of a destination,” he remarked.
“Crime in the tourist zones is under control, according to Politur statistics, and fortunately, we have had no terrorist acts,” says the well-informed Lladó.
He stressed that for years the Dominican Republic has best been known for the friendly attitude of the population towards foreign visitors. Being friendly comes natural to Dominicans, says Lladó.
“There are places in the Caribbean where the people are not very friendly to tourists. We still have a welcoming population,” he says. Lladó observes that Central Bank tourism exit polls continue to reveal that the third most important factor in tourist satisfaction is the friendliness of the population after the beaches and climate.
The price factor also adds to the strong competitiveness of Dominican tourism, Lladó points out. “Our prices still are pretty competitive. We are much cheaper than all the islands of the Lesser Antilles, which have higher cost structures, and consequently cannot compete with us on price,” he remarked in the interview.
The all-inclusive model, which lowers the cost of Dominican vacations, decides people in our favor, says the tourism consultant.
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Hoy
23 August 2022