NewsWhore
11-14-2011, 04:00 PM
The president of the Puntacana Group Frank Rainieri says that the tourism sector needs a competitiveness law that places it on an equal footing with the 180 countries with which it competes. Rainieri was speaking during the El Pais-El Caribe newspaper-sponsored Invest in Dominican Republic conference last week.
He mentioned that the government decision to maintain the cost of aviation fuel at such high levels is harmful for tourism. "Tourism is a global industry and we have to compete with countries that offer Avtur aviation fuel three dollars lower than here", said Rainieri.
He added that what has happened is that the tour operators then pressure the hotels for steep discounts to compensate for the expensive fuel.
Rainieri says that the Punta Cana International Airport will have received more than 2.2 million tourists by the end of the year. He said 60% of all tourists visiting the Dominican Republic arrive through this airport.
"We have to see which are the new niches to attract them to our market, and diversify, creating new attractions, because we can't continue to offer the same thing," he said during his presentation, as reported in Hoy.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
He mentioned that the government decision to maintain the cost of aviation fuel at such high levels is harmful for tourism. "Tourism is a global industry and we have to compete with countries that offer Avtur aviation fuel three dollars lower than here", said Rainieri.
He added that what has happened is that the tour operators then pressure the hotels for steep discounts to compensate for the expensive fuel.
Rainieri says that the Punta Cana International Airport will have received more than 2.2 million tourists by the end of the year. He said 60% of all tourists visiting the Dominican Republic arrive through this airport.
"We have to see which are the new niches to attract them to our market, and diversify, creating new attractions, because we can't continue to offer the same thing," he said during his presentation, as reported in Hoy.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)