The president of the Hotel & Restaurant Association Ramon Prieto told Hoy newspaper that the attack on the US will affect travel to the DR especially because the country has been successfully targeting the American market. He said that the “panorama for the travel sector has changed.” Arturo Villanueva, executive vice president of the association, said the hijacking of commercial airplanes sends out a very bad message for a sector that depends on commercial airlines. He is of the opinion that the government should increase its advertising to send a clear message that this is a peaceful country.
Radhames Martinez of the Juan Dolio Association of Hotels said they have not received any European cancellations. He said they would have a better idea of measures to take in the next 48 hours. He commented that September and October are already slow months, so losses will be less damaging.
Frank Rainieri of the Punta Cana Group said that 20 flights to the Punta Cana International Airport from the US were cancelled. Forecasts for this year were for 200,000 arrivals from the US to the Punta Cana Airport. He said that as of last Sunday, 140,000 travelers had arrived. He doubts the forecast number will be reached after the attack on the US.
News reports say travellers grounded in the DR are being offered special rates by the hotels. In some cases, 50% discounts have been offered. (13 September 2001)
