For the Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, David Collado, Puerto Rico is not a competition as a destination, but rather he sees it as an opportunity to unite strategies so that both countries benefit from tourist traffic in the Caribbean, such as promoting multi-destination trips.
“We are 30 minutes away, so the European tourist from England who goes to the Dominican Republic only has to take a 30-minute flight and get to know Puerto Rico. These are the alliances we want to make with Puerto Rico and with the authorities here, and we have been in conversation about these issues,” said Collado, in an exclusive interview with EL VOCERO.
However, he said that one of the main challenges is airfares, which despite being so close to the other destination, are often very expensive.
Through an internet search, this newspaper found that a round-trip flight ranged from $160 to $400 between the months of September and October.
As part of this need, I announce that the Dominican airline Sky High Dominicana will resume its flights to Puerto Rico starting in October, reconnecting Santo Domingo/Las Américas (SDQ) with Aguadilla (BQN) and San Juan (SJU) after a five-year suspension.
This would join the Dominican airline Arajet, which in early 2023 requested permission to fly to US jurisdictions, including Puerto Rico, and is still awaiting a response.
It is worth noting that, at the moment, in Puerto Rico, there are only two commercial airlines with flights to the Dominican Republic: JetBlue and Frontier Airlines.
“To promote multi-destination, it is necessary to replicate what happens with Latinos and those of us who live in the Caribbean, who, if we go to Europe, when we visit Madrid we also go to Italy, that is, we do not make just one stop and that has to be the strategy in the Dominican Republic with Puerto Rico, so that tourism in both countries continues to grow,” he emphasized.
The minister reported that in 2023 they received over 10 million tourists, of which 232,176 were tourists residing in Puerto Rico with 3,226 commercial flights from the Island. In the period from January to July 2024, 160,417 tourists have been received, which represents an increase of 13% compared to the same period in 2023, when 141,932 Puerto Rican tourists were counted.
"We have a projection that we will exceed 220,000 (Puerto Rican) tourists, a very important figure and if we measure it by the number of inhabitants in Puerto Rico, it becomes one of the most important destinations for the Dominican Republic," he said.
The official stressed that tourism in his country “is not just beaches and piña coladas,” but is the main industry, since it represents 15% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In addition, this sector employs more than one million workers in the Dominican Republic.
Meanwhile, on the Island, according to data from the Tourism Economics study, commissioned by Discover Puerto Rico, visitor spending reached $6.1 billion for 7.6% of the Gross National Product (GNP) and generated approximately 86,700 jobs.
Destination promotion is essential
Recognizing that more than 90% of the tourists who arrive on Puerto Rican soil are Americans, EL VOCERO asked the minister what strategies have been implemented that could be emulated to increase the presence of international tourists, to which he indicated that, in addition to the alliance strategies between countries, there is foreign promotion for growth.
“We firmly believe in international promotion. That has been the result that the Dominican Republic has had (and it is achieved) if they have austere, well-directed and well-focused international promotion,” said Collado.
Although he is unaware of the details of the criticism that has been publicly leveled at Discover Puerto Rico, the entity in charge of promoting the country as a destination, he said that the external perception is that the island is coming to the attention of foreigners.
“As a minister of another country, the reality is that Puerto Rico is being felt, its presence is being felt in important markets and the promotion of Puerto Rico is being felt. I can say that with complete certainty,” the official added.
Committed to sustainability
“All this tourism development that we are doing in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way is part of the challenges that countries like ours have. The challenge for Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic is to develop tourism, but in an environmentally friendly way and always thinking about sustainability,” Collado emphasized.
The official stressed that, in conjunction with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), several resolutions have been issued that establish deadlines for hotels and large hotel chains to implement sustainable and environmentally friendly programs.
According to research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the Travel & Tourism sector is currently responsible for 8.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
According to UNWTO data, before the pandemic, sustainable tourism was growing 20% faster than conventional tourism. Although the pandemic affected tourism in general, the trend towards more sustainable practices has continued to increase.
The official indicated that this is another of the commitments that they have as a country, which in turn gives added value to their tourism offer, since it has also become a priority for many travelers.
The minister invited Puerto Ricans to “continue visiting a sister island, a paradise just as beautiful as Puerto Rico. When you want to vacation, you want to get away from your environment, so you are only 30 minutes from the Dominican Republic and we have a new campaign that is to taste paradise. So, don't forget to go to the Dominican Republic.”
Source: Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic.