18/06/2019
Due to a recent, unusual media campaign against DR tourism based on a situation that happened in 2 resorts in Punta Cana, we would like to state some facts:
1-The constant increase of tourism to DR has multiplied for the past 19 years, to around 8 million visitors per year via air and sea. Doing the math, the recent cases do not amount to 1%, which is ridiculous for banning a destination that has far more options when it comes to resorts and other types of lodging. Other places in the world are far more dangerous, and we never see travel advisories on them.
2- While not perfect, security in the tourist areas is considered much better than in other areas of the island, otherwise we would not have such a large expat population living in the island and tourism would not have increased at the current rates.
3- Punta Cana is a world-class destination, everyone knows it is the envy of many other competitors because they have earned their stars over many years. It is totally unacceptable to label the whole region over the two or three cases in 2 resorts , because the rest are explainable. The normal course of action suggests that if anyone or anything was involve, we should soon find out and deal with it.
4- Bad things can happen to anyone, anywhere. Travelers should exercise caution and educate themselves when being away from their hometowns, beware of health issues before traveling; as we have seen some people under medication ‘’taking a break’’ and mixing meds with alcohol.
5-Beware that in the age of information, misinformation is very much alive. While we have millions of tourists visiting and posting their great experience, one can also find a few bad ones that get 90% of the media attention, with intent to damage the island’s hard earned reputation. Would you travel based on that, or based on real facts? make your own decision, not a misled one.