Scientific Shocking Discovery in Hispaniola !

[ROVER]

From Dominican Today
Tourism - 12 September 2013, 8:32 AM


Lat-Am’s highest airport fees hobble Dominican Republic’s tourism


http://www.dominicantoday.com/image/article/16/209x400/0/9BB9B5BF-F5A2-4A76-A34D-41E4D92713A5.jpeg
Puerto Plata (Luperon) airport.

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/img/bits/blue-round-more.gifZoom Picture

Santo Domingo. - Dominican Republic has Latin America’s highest airport fees, a situation which hobbles tourism’s competitiveness and one of the factors which have plunged the destination Puerto Plata into crisis.

The warning came from Dominican Republic Tour Operators Association (OPETUR) president Elizabeth Tobar, who cited figures from the Las Americas and Luperón airports.

"Whatever raises costs and landing fees for the airlines bring setbacks. We haven’t realized that we were a relatively cheap destination before, but today we have transformed into one of the most expensive in the air travel segment," she said.

“Tourism isn’t only what you have here in hotels, services, etc., but the portion with which tourists can visit a country,” Tobar said when asked about the impact of airport services costs on the tourism industry.

Her statement comes in the heels of debate over the bond issue sought by airports management company Aerodom, which led to higher fees charged in most of the country’s the terminals.

“When we start to increase taxes, landing fees , fuel and the tourist card, which by the way is an increase with which we strongly disagree, all that is handed down, and so the tourists who come to the country face the most expensive air segment per mile in all of Latin America."

After this interview Scientists are now considering the possibility that intelligent life could exist on The Island Of Hispaniola.

[ROVER]

From Dominican Today

Tourism Police get an earful from ambassadors

http://www.dominicantoday.com/image/article/16/209x400/0/9EAB9659-FDFD-42D2-9C87-82949756E318.jpeg

El Conde...reasonably safe...


Santo Domingo. – A gathering hosted by the Tourism Police (Politur) on Monday for the representatives from various countries to lay out its safety plans for tourism regions turned into a soap box on which diplomats voiced complaints from visitors from their country including Greater Santo Domingo’s traffic chaos, the detention of up to four hours for minor infractions and retained documents.

U.S. Embassy citizen affairs director Mary Fisk Telchi said visitors frequently complain that people with no authority retain their documents. "A common complaint we have is of American passports retained by entities which have no jurisdiction ...such as car rentals or hospitals where passports are held."

Calling document retention by individuals without any authority “unacceptable,” Fisk noted that around 1.6 million U.S. tourists visit Dominican Republic every year.

The British Embassy affirmed that many UK tourists are detained for up to four hours for minor issues without justification, while Araceli Azuara, the OAS representative revealed that many foreigners complain of credit cards being cloned, and asked for stricter controls.

She also complained of the poor quality of the taxi services, many unmarked, “because they’re always colliding and one wonders if you’ll be the next to get hit."
Moreover, Mexico’s Ambassador griped about the alleged lack of authority in the Colonial Zone.

Saved by Chile The gathering headed by Politur chief Justo Fernandez was saved from disaster by Chile’s representative, who refuting other diplomats, said the Colonial Zone can be visited without fear and noted that the image of insecurity which has been sold about the sector, is “no more than perception.”


FINALLY Somebody speaking up about this lunacy to the right people....:ilike:

[weyland]

Rover, as an animal lover, and our only member named after a dog, you should be more concerned about the net tightening around people like you.

Devizes man Robert Newman has been jailed after he admitted having sex with a goat.

Robert Newman, 23, assaulted the animal in a barn in Devizes, Wiltshire, in April.

Newman was jailed for six weeks for the attack. West Wiltshire Magistrates' Court heard had left the goat needing veterinary treatment.

In mitigation Anne Ellery told the court Newman's actions were a "symptom of isolation rather than depravity".

That's what happens when people are left to their own Devizes.

[SeaWeed]

sounds like the DR better get their chit together before they have a trickle of tourist visiting their island......
bad enuff when you add into the equation the crackdown of tourist mongers and the massage establishments in a country where prostitution is legal
the only thing that is saving the DR is that the North American economies aren't in the toilet anymore.......

[deezl]

sounds like the DR better get their chit together before they have a trickle of tourist visiting their island......
bad enuff when you add into the equation the crackdown of tourist mongers and the massage establishments in a country where prostitution is legal

only the north coast tourism numbers are down


overall tourism to the DR goes up every year. mongers are pretty much irrelevant to the numbers.

[questner]

Here are my thoughts, likely not the truth still,

SDQ+STI total say quarter of travelers, most of them Dominicans, no much change over the years
LRM same number of few rich folks
AZS 1% of traffic
PUJ - main traffic and growing area of family tourism (big planes, newer hotels, great beaches)
POP - 12% of visitors and slowing

Now, planes landing in POP are always full! That means that airlines flying into POP successfully maximize their profits, why would they add capacity? No interest on their part, especially after they do all the hard work of guessing it out and working on the connecting flights.

We need new entrants into POP, new airlines to fly into POP. Where are those new entrants and where will they take planes from? There are no planes idling now. It's all takes time.

POP airport does not operate at full capacity at all.

For most of us taxes do not matter but a total price of airfare. And it is still cheaper to fly into POP than to other destinations based on a) proximity of the airport to town b) total cost of vacation where very inexpensive lodging at half capacity exists throughout the year

[sonrisa]

I am no airport fee expert, but I know how to read the total price of a ticket (plus add on the $10 additional entry tax). I've been a faithful passenger into POP over the years with an occasional exception or two into Santiago. I rent cars (yes, I know that's another whole "wisdom" debate in and of itself) and so flying into Santiago was no big problem. I've flown into Santo Domingo once, but that's because I was taking a Santo Domingo chica to an all-inclusive near La Romana. However, I've been a loyalist to Puerto Plata airport for most of my trips over the last four or five years. I like the fact that I'm only a few minutes away from my apartment and I also rent my car in Sosua from L & I (Luis is always honest, friendly and his prices are very good). Also, though the motoconchos and other drivers are crazy, but at least the traffic is not as crazy as Santo Domingo and Santiago. And I am one who likes the improvements made at the Puerto Plata airport which, I realize, may well be one of the factors driving up the fees.

However, as I stated at the beginning, I know how to read the total price of a ticket. So on my next upcoming trip I bought a round-trip fare into Santo Domingo (SDQ). The price was $350 less than my regular flight into POP. I have rented a compact car from my usual car rental company in the U.S. for eight days for a total rate including airport access fees and taxes of $169 and this is for a mid-size (which is more like a compact in the U.S.) and unlimited mileage. My plane arrives into SDQ in the early afternoon and leaves in mid-afternoon which allows me sufficient time to drive by way of the new toll-way and along the coast into and from Sosua while avoiding entirely the Santo Domingo and Santiago traffic. However, I will have toll fees coming and going of around $25 (estimate) and the extra gas to drive that distance (maybe 140 miles each way for a total of 280 at 28 mpg = 10 gallons of gas or an extra $50-60). Since I enjoy driving and actually want to drive on the new highway which I hear is very nice with some beautiful scenery. In addition, I can make my trip to Sosua and return to Santo Domingo at reasonable times (no need to get up at 4 a.m. to get to the airport) and driving the extra miles and taking extra time is no problem for me. And what are my savings? I realize this is not an exact science, but I figure my total savings for flying into Santo Domingo (including costs for airfare, car, tolls and extra gas) compared to total costs of flying into Puerto Plata will be slightly over $200.

Is it worth the savings? I don't know. I haven't tried it yet and will make that determination later. However, at the very least I am one example of someone taking his business to a more competitive/less expensive provider. Therefore, POP loses my business. Perhaps the airlines and/or lack of competition is the problem. Perhaps it is the taxes and fees at POP. I don't know. I just know the bottom line and made a decision to try another road . . . literally. The bad news is that my regular car rental place in Sosua (a company I like and recommend) also loses my business. And maybe on some of my future visits I may decide to spend more of my time in Santo Domingo, Boca Chica, go up to Las Terranas or somewhere else. Am I the only one thinking like this? Absolutely not, as I received this suggested plan from several of my Sosua friends who are now doing this and, in fact, some of them are now indeed spending more of their vacations on the south coast.

My guess is that for me this will be more of a novelty adventure than a regular practice. However, if the price disparity continues . . . who knows? The officials at POP and, in fact, the Dominican Republic as a whole need to open their eyes and become more competitive with their competition which may include other airports in the DR as well as other Caribbean islands and destinations that become more attractive when the value of one place falters.

[whatever]

For whatever reason prices to POP are higher than other destinations. The
last time I went to POP was 2009 and the reason I haven't gone back is
ticket prices to other destinations are cheaper. I've been to Mexico,
Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, and Costa Rica so I have been
flying. Just not to the DR. There's a whole world of things to see and
do and I see no reason go back to POP and get ripped off at the airport
when I can get a better deal somewhere else. They need to cancel that
monopoly contract at POP and restore competition if they want to get me
to go back. Until then I will continue to go somewhere else.

[SeaWeed]

The
last time I went to POP was 2009 and the reason I haven't gone back is
ticket prices to other destinations are cheaper.
Exactly.....mi haven't been since 2009 either.....if they had well priced airfare to POP......mi be der in a heartbeat......
how can I not justify paying $250 R/T from Tampa to Montego Bay, Jamaica.......POP is triple that.....and it's about the same miles
mi spoiled....generally mi been paying $200 - $400 for R/T the last 30 years.....can't see the point in paying more than that for pussy

[Jao]

For whatever reason prices to POP are higher than other destinations. The
last time I went to POP was 2009 and the reason I haven't gone back is
ticket prices to other destinations are cheaper. I've been to Mexico,
Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, and Costa Rica so I have been
flying. Just not to the DR. There's a whole world of things to see and
do and I see no reason go back to POP and get ripped off at the airport
when I can get a better deal somewhere else. They need to cancel that
monopoly contract at POP and restore competition if they want to get me
to go back. Until then I will continue to go somewhere else.

Jetblue had a sale last February, 2013, I paid about $213US full price, JFK to La Romana (LRM), round-trip, non-stop and that price included all taxes and fees. Current rates New York JFK to SDQ a little over $400. JFK to AZS (Samana) was $350US the last time I checked. Jetblue used to charge an extra $25US to sit in the first four or five rows, which have extra legroom. Sometimes no one next you in those seats and you can lay across three seats for the ride.

La Vecchia Caserma Hotel ( http://www.hotelvecchiacaserma.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24&Itemid=131&lang=en ) adjacent to a golf course is less than 10 minutes from LRM (La Romana Airport), rates starting at $50US. Bayahibe has a nice beach and many boats that take tourists to Isla Saona. Bayahibe is about 20 minutes from LRM Airport. Scores (Klimax) had the best talent of any p4p venue I have visited in the DR, when I visited twice a few years ago. Urban Bar in La Romana was packed with locals, over ten big ass bartenders who will come down off the plastic beer crates they stand on, to grind a customer for a song, fun place. Other venues in La Romana. Rental car from Alamo/National at LRM was about $40US per day.

New highway to Punta Cana/Bavaro, the trip from La Romana I have read is under an hour.

San Pedro de Macoris is about 35 minutes from La Romana.