The decrease in Dominicans living abroad likely includes x-convicts that are deported after prison sentences. Consequently, these should be excluded from all numbers because they skew the results. For example, the US has increase the number of Dominican deportees and these arrivals should NOT be used to inflate arrival numbers from the US (because these x-cons do NOT contribute anything to society other than increased crime in the RD).

RD officials live in fantasy world thinking they are immune to a global downturn as noted by Prez LF. The downward trend just started and will likely accelerate.

As long as drug dealers sell drugs on school routes in my barrio of Los Platanitos (Ensanche Caonabo in Santiago next to the Cibao Stadium & Children's Hospital then I will advocate a boycott of RD toursim (until RD Gov officials stop playing both sides of the drug game!).

FANNIN & staff are still WORTHLESS!

juan_de_eeuu@hotmail.com

Crisis at all levels and the trend will continue. The prices to go to the DR continue to rise everyday. Some other countries have good packages for tourists who want to enjoy some nice sunny funny vacations.

There will be more room on the METRO!

Tourism is Spain's second biggest industry and leading destinations Catalonia and the Balearic Islands suffered falls of over 10 percent in November.

Foreign tourist arrivals declined 2 percent to 54.6 million in the 11 months to November, marking another economic blow to Spain during the collapse of residential construction and real estate

Get a clue it just in't here and I think 5.8 % looks good comapred to this.

Spanish tourism plunges as Britons stay at home
Monday 22 December 2008 10:52:27 - Breaking News - Source: Reuters
MADRID (Reuters) - Arrivals of foreign tourists to Spain, the world's second biggest tourist destination, plummeted in November as top customers Britons and Germans stayed at home during the global economic slowdown.

Arrivals fell 11.6 percent in the month from a year earlier, the first double-digit decline in years, with British visitors down 15 percent and 7 percent fewer Germans, Spain's Industry, Tourism and Trade Ministry reported on Monday.

continued

Jander, that presupposes that the figures from the foundation are accurate. i am willing to bet that they are downplayed so as not to create alarm.

I agree I bet it is higher..

No one I work with in the US or Europe is travelling far during the holiday seasons.
No non-essential travel
No trade shows.
Last year I was all over the place. This year nada...

i refuse to accept some of these figuers. try telling that to business owners; i bet they are not witnessing a 6% drop in business. if i used to get 100 people in my business per week, and now i only get 94, i could weather the storm. (depending , of course, on how many are just window shopping, or spending pennies). but so many people are going out of business, it has to be worse than 6%

you see, Jander, when they say that we are seeing a 6% falloff in visitors, they are only describing footfall at immigraton. what they fail to say is 1) how long are visitors staying, compared to the base measurement period, and 2)how much per capita spending are we seeing. what is the point of the same amount of people staying a shorter period of time, and spending less money?

The DR has 60 thousand hotel rooms to fill on the entire Island and travel and tourism is hurting....to put that in perspective there is a little city in Nevada called Las Vegas that will soon open its 150 thousandth room in one town....talk about competition....then there is that quaint little town Orlando with about 100 thousand plus rooms thrown into the mix as well....go figure...and they are not going to put those cruise ships in mothballs either.....this government is not telling the truth about economic stability in 2009....the decrease in percentage will continue and price cutting will become very brutal....the operators will need relief ...and devaluation will rear its ugly head once more

Hi Comanche, Dread - Merry Christmas. I think they are full of it when they say 6% decline. I don't know about Canada or Europe, but here, at my own company, there have been alot of layoffs. Also, other companies in my building are also restructuring, etc. Most people I know are not planning vacations. Unfortunately, I think it will be quiet this winter all over the Carribean, but keep in mind that the DR is extremely affordable - so if you have to get out of the cold - I tell everyone to go there. Feb 4 is my day!!!!

hi , whoop; merry christmas, albeit belatedly. might you disclose the significance of feb 4? birtthday, maybe? nuptials, perhaps? hey, we know better about the economic conditions; only politicians think we are bullet proof.

by the way, whoop, the DR is affordable; it is the air fare that gets you.

Dread - My God - no nups, been there, done that - I'll just come down for my winter tan and bring the hotel to its knees -

Dread PS) Airfare is less than $300 from NY and a 3 hour flight - no stops, little TV in front of my face, babies crying, packed in like cattle. Can't wait for that -

by the time you get here, let's hope the hotel is not already on its knees. but, i will be glad to join the long, grey line of manhood , genuflecting at your behest.

Dread - thanks, I'll look forward to that genuflecting (I love that word - it almost sounds dirty) -

All my UK friends are still globetrotting. Morocco and Uzbekestan seem to the new 'in' places.
http://www.advantour.com/uzbekistan
Of couse Spain is now making more money despite reduced tourism because the Euro is strong. Price of beer is high but you often get free tapas. If DR strengthened the Peso and gave free Tapas!
S.

all my friends....you mean your other friend dont you wanker....you would not know a tapa if they stuck one in your eye ....its bubble and squeek for you or bangers and mash....with warm Watneys yum yum

I stop going to my own country because of too much corruption. If you look Dominican, you get search like 7 times at the airport because they think that you are traveling illegally or have some drugs with you. So you get discriminated in your own country. If you look gringo, you don't even get search. You get green light to do whatever you want.

actually, whooptdou, in my useage, it is intended to be dirty! just kidding. i have to display a modicum of respect for the distaff side of the human coin.