i am mystified by this issue. i would really like to know what is unique about the Dominican Tourism Model, whatever that may be.

What a joke.
More or less safe to walk the streets in the DR.=Unsafe in Colombia, kidnapping is a cottage industry

3 1/2 hours from NY 1.5 hours from Miami-Colombia is much further

Great climate in the entire country-colombia sucks most of the time in half the country.

Ain't possible

The Dominican Republic has adopted a liberal economic model, which has made it the largest economy in the region. Tourism is one of the main economic sectors, and DR has done an excellent job in tourism investment and development. The country has about 70,000 hotel rooms, thats more than any other country in the region. With projects like Cap Cana, San Souci Port and Moon Palace Resort, DR will become the biggest tourist destination in the caribbean region.

Could someone please explain to me how this will help DR???

Very difficult to duplicate the smiles and warmth of the dominican people! Immmmmposible!

However they might find a great model in:
The great roads,24/7 electricity, carefull drivers, and honest politicians that really have
the best interest and genuine love for their people, a president that really works hard
for his people instead of taking family vacations. protecting valuable coastlines/ land
for the welfare of the people. and last but not least encouraging the people with GREAT EDUCATION and Health Care so the people never have to take a boat ride to another shore!

However Colombia, your great array of narcotics is the worlds finest!
Please keep these to youselves!

Tit for tat in this version of technological transfers: we've shown you how to work with our pharm products, now show us how to lure gringos into coming here.

Perhaps colombia can help with the electricity problem... Its a WIN WIN situation

All made interesting comments...Many Tourist I've talked to all agree one of the main reasons they vacation in the DR is the Natural Beauty, History, beaches, close proximity to the U.S and cost effect in this hard economic times.

Why waste time with gov. and not just go directly to Punta Cana Group? It should prove infinitely more productive.

What's really most ironic about this evolving situation is that while Colombia is trying to emulate our gains in tourism, DR is striving to emulate Colombia drug industry-with apparent measure of success. Go figure.

Glomarexplorer,
WOW ! Shocking.....I did !
There may be some behind the scenes truth behind your statement.
God save the DR from elicit & illegal large profits.

The Dominican Republic is a Latin American Leader when it comes to tourism and the number 1 tourist desnitation in the Caribbean. As Wents22 said we have over 70,000 hotel rooms making it the Caribbean destination with the largest amount of hotel rooms to choose from. Our Tourism industry started as an all inclusive industry which did not really benefit the people except with jobs but now it is diversifying itself with upscale boutique hotels and resorts opening up the market for all Dominican people to benefit.

they don't have the Dominican girls that treat you good on the beach

Colombia lindo country, mala gente....

Bueno no se puede generalizar tampoco. Yo eh ido a colombia y tanto el pais como todas las Colombianas eran gente chulisima!

ojedemagglio, what is this ? not going to respond to some simple questions? you do know that that is rude and not very adult, don't you?

dreadlocks, What are you talking about?

this is what i am talking about, ojedemagglio;

number one in what respect? in return visitors? in dollars spent by visitor? in duration of stay per person? in low leakage? what exactly do you mean, please tell? how does having the greatest amount of rooms make one the number one destination? specifics, please.

it is just a few postings up.

Ok lets try this again in a respectful manner please. The Dominican Republic was named "The Caribbeans #1 Destination" A title that was held by Puerto Rico for the past 40 years. You can find this here http://www.godominicanrepublic.com/en/About/FactsAndFigures.htm

Also read this article http://www.godominicanrepublic.co....nglish/docs/DR_Infrastructure.pdf

Now this following article points out a number of things. The Dominican Republic (DR) has been ranked among the best travel destinations by some of the most distinguished publications on the market. The DR has garnered accolades for its unspoiled natural beauty, diversity, hospitality and accessibility. Top rankings and honors for 2008 and 2009 include: Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates unveiled Punta Cana, DR, as one of the “Top 10 International Destinations” for 2008; Cheaptickets.com named Punta Cana, DR, one of the best budget travel destinations for 2008; the Lawrence Journal-World reported that the Travel L

the Lawrence Journal-World reported that the Travel Leaders’ 2009 “Top 10 International Destinations” list included Punta Cana, DR, as number eight; The Luxe Travel Guru (Mike Thiel), president and founder of Hideaways International, Inc., named the DR as one of the “Best Places to Rediscover” in his 2009 travel picks; the New York Times named Puerto Plata, DR, one of 53 best destinations in the world in 2008; the Tennessee Tribune’s “Top 10 Travel Trends and Destinations for 2009” by the Specialty Travel Agents Association named the DR number two among its top travel pricks for 2009

Golf

Golf: The International Association of Golf Tour Operators named the DR the “Golf Destination of the Year for the Caribbean and Latin America” in November 2008; Travel & Leisure Golf recognized the DR as "The Player's Paradise," honoring the Faldo Legacy Course at Roco Ki as one of the top 10 best new golf courses in the world in 2008; Golfweek's Best New Courses 2008 ranked Punta Espada Golf Course number one in the November 2008 issue; Golf magazine ranked Casa de Campo "The Best Golf" in the Caribbean in the April 2008 issue, Casa de Campo golf courses include Dye Fore, Links and Teeth of the Dog; Celebrated Living included DR's East Coast golf courses, La Cana and Teeth of the Dog, among its "Top 20 International Golf Courses" in 2008.

Bridal Guide recognized the DR for several of its beaches in 2008 including Punta Cana, DR, home to the longest stretch of white-sand beach in the Caribbean, voted "Best for Long Walks." In addition, Playa Rincón was voted "Best Off the Beaten Path" beach in the DR. Three miles of white sand, turquoise waters and lush palm groves make this typically deserted beach one of the best. Blue Flag Certifications were garnered for three DR beaches, including two stretches of beach in Costa Dorada, Coson Beach and stretches of beach near Bayahibe. Blue Flag certifications are only awarded to beaches that adhere to 27 strict criteria. Criteria include water quality, environmental education, environmental management, safety and services.
Condé Nast Traveler's "Hot List Spas 2008" ranked Yarari Spa of the Agua Resort and Spa the best spa in the DR; ABC News Online ranked The Bungalows, located in Confresi, as the top stress-busting Caribbean island spa in the DR in 2008.

Travel & Leisure ranked Casa de Campo resort in the La Romana province as number 16 in its "Top 25 Hotels in the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas" list in 2008; Leading Hotels of the World honored Tortuga Bay of the PUNTACANA Resort & Club with its "Commitment to Quality Award" for excellence in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America in 2008
The World Bank's "Doing Business 2009" report ranked the DR among the world's top 10 countries in terms of creating a more business-friendly regulatory environment. The DR performed well in the following areas: starting a business, registering property, paying taxes and trading across borders.

Here is the link to everything I wrote above

http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=55811

Enjoy

ojedemagglio, none of which answers the questions i asked. go read them again and give me some more quotes.

Camano tu has ido a Colombia?

My wife Colombian

Well, my wife was born here in the u. s. but her parents are from Colombia.

colombia might as well put the white flag up, cause nobady ones to go to a country where you have a 80 percent chance of being kidnapped and held hostaged or be chopped up in pieces. first they need to resolve the kidnapping and crime rate in colombia until then you will not have a good economy when it comes to tourism.

Hellborn25,
You nailed it.....Plus the Beaches don't even come close to the one's in the DR, and not to mention the price of flight to and from. Over all the DR is the # 1 tourist attraction no other Caribbean Island comes close.
Any body ever price compared to the Islands of the South Pacific to include Hawaii ?
I had a Friend and His Wife years ago who payed almost $6,000.00 for a one week stay in Tahiti.

Exactly mrios, you hit the jackpot. DR is uncomparable!

mrios, how many other caribbean islands have you visited.?

ojedemagglio, if it is "uncomparable", would you mind explaining the reason why it has among the lowest return rates in the caribbean?

Due to the lack of organization in our country but once this is solved with the amount of tourists we recieve and the ones who will continue visiting we will be unstopable. You sound like you really dislike the Dominican Republic Dreadlocks. Have you had a bad experience in the Dominican Republic or with a Dominican?

Ojedamaggiolo80,
True...."Lack of organization"

Over priced Jamaica, Puerto Rico to name a couple. Even Haiti for about 5 hours.

If the Haitian Gov. got there act together they could draw in more then just Clinton / Brazilian relief workers and UN visitors and observers. Haiti has a lot of Natural Beauty, with lot's of green lush vegetation.

actually, ojedamagglio, i really love the place. as you are probably aware, there are about 180 other countries on this here planet, so, the fact that i chose to live here should at least suggest something to the more perceptive amongst us. no, what i dislike is unsubstantiated remarks based more in gloating than in reality. the DR is a wondrous country in terms of what it has in the way of physical attriutes. but that is not what makes for good tourism. tourism is roughly defined as ¨the voluntary travel of temporaril leisured persons to places away from home¨.the accent is on ¨leisure¨. the potential is limitless, but the product is not up to snuff. and, it does not change with the continuing arrival of guests. it changes when the guests say they felt safe driving on the roads, they had a good experience with immigration and customs, the cops did not shake them down everywhere they went, etc, etc. no amount of 36 hole golf courses can fix that.

mrios, i agree that places like Jamaica and the Turks are expensive relative to the DR. but, there is an old bromide that says ýou get what you pay for¨. i would rather pay a decent amount of money in a place like Bermuda, than go to a hotel in Puerto Plata and have the washbasin fall on my knees while i am sitting on the throne.

thats what I mean by lack of organization. SO let me get this straight because I think im confused. Do you or do you not live in the Dominican Republic?

ojedamagglio, i do live in the DR. that is why i feel empowered to discuss the issues with the understanding which comes from exposure, not anecdotes.

In what part of the country if you don't mind me asking?

this country has only one part, ojeda. THE CIBAO. after that,every where else is irrelevant.

lmao jajajajajajajajaja, Well to each its own but to me Capital es Capital y lo demas es monte! I mean don't get me wrong El Cibao is beautil and the family has a cabin in Jarabacoa and I love to go and get away from the city for a while but man the capital is the place to be for me atleast. Im assuming you live in Santiago?

not really in Santiago, but not far away. you are lucky to have frequent access to Jarabacoa. at least, it has climate. in the capital, you can see the air!

jajajaja that depends where I live in Arroyo Hondo there is a lot of vegetation and we have the botanical garden close by its really nice. I should tour you around the Capital one day so you can see the real Capital lol.

i spent many moons in Arroyo Hondo. it is a lovely place, i admit. and a wonderful example of the juxtaposition between wealth and abject poverty.

How long have you been living in the country? Are you American?

maybe 6 years permanently. naturalised american.

What is your original backgroung?

Dreadlocks,
I was born in the Dom. Rep. my Family migrated to the U.S, [California] in 1960.
California the Land of Unemployment, Wild Fires, Crime, Liberals Galore, Droughts, San Francisco over Priced Real State and over crowding.
All they say is true regarding the Pacific Ocean, Mountains, Deserts, Sunshine, History and Agriculture.....OOP's ! I take that back, thanks to the 2 inch fish.
But still I wouldn't Live any where else, the DR for vacation to visit Family.
Brother if you don't mind me asking what Country were you born in ?

That goes to show you that even with all of the problems this little island holds many people still chose it over other places. I for instance grew up in the NYC with the rest of my family. I migrated there at the age of 4 and now im 28 and a little over a year ago we moved back to DR and boy was that the best move we have made in our entire lives!

Ojedamaggiolo80,
I'm jealous.......I wish to do the same one day soon, and will keep my Home in California God willing.
EVER HEAR OF THE "CALIFORNIA RAISINS" and in the DR they get upset with Drought.
Take care.

mrios, before i go into the mode of full disclosure, your description of California is not very flattering. yet, i hardly see any responses form posters upbraiding you for criticising the place. that is what free speech is all about. besides, criticising a place, and loving it, are not mutually exclusive, except in the minds of people who are afraid of the truth. i was born in the british caribbean. nuff said.

Dreadlocks,
Thank you for your Honesty in your comment. I've lived in California for over 46 years and I'm ready for a change.
I guess living in one spot as long as I have one notices the good and BAD, I have also seen California in the last 20 years headed in a downward trend.
Free speech....That's what makes DT so great, here we have People will all sorts back grounds imputing their beliefs, I call it the "exchange of information" points of view and ideas on a Global scale. Thank God the U.S has not become like Venezuela.....at least, not yet.
So you are a Islander like myself.
Take care.

thanks , mrios. have a great day, my old friend.

Dreadlocks,
You were always my friend, Real Friends can always disagree and in the end find that Human common bond.
Take care and God Bless.

Thanks for sharing!

the very same to you, mrios. you are a true gentleman