The strategy could increase the presence of international tourists in Puerto Rico.
For the Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, David Collado, Puerto Rico is not a competition as a destination, but he sees it as an opportunity to join strategies for both countries to benefit from tourist traffic in the Caribbean, such as promoting multi-destination trips.
“We are 30 minutes away, so the European tourist from England going to the Dominican Republic only has to take a 30-minute flight and get to know Puerto Rico. Those are the alliances we want to make with Puerto Rico and with the authorities here, and we have been in conversation with these issues,” said Collado, in an exclusive interview with EL VOCERO.
However, he said that one of the main challenges are the air fares, 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 September and October.
As part of this need, I announced that the Quintana Roo airline Sky High Dominicana will resume flights to Puerto Rico starting in October, reconnecting Santo Domingo/Las Americas (SDQ) with Aguadilla (BQN) and San Juan (SJU) after a five-year suspension.
This would join Dominican airline Arajet, which in early 2023 requested permission to fly to U.S. 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, that, if we go to Europe, when we visit Madrid we also go to Italy, in other words, there is not 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 informed 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 are going to 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 simply 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.
Indispensable to promote the destination
Acknowledging that more than 90% of tourists arriving to Puerto Rico are from the United States, 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 strategies of alliances between countries, foreign promotion is essential for growth.
“We strongly believe in international promotion. That has been the result that the Dominican Republic has had (and it is achieved) if they have an austere, well-directed and well-focused international promotion,” Collado said.
Although he does not know in detail the criticisms that have been made publicly to 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. That I can say with total certainty,” the official added.
Committed to sustainability
“All this tourism development that we are making sustainable and environmentally friendly is part of the challenges that countries like ours face. The challenge for Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic is for tourism to develop, but in an environmentally friendly way and always thinking about sustainability,” Collado emphasized.
The official pointed out that, together with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), several resolutions have been issued establishing 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 they have as a country, which in turn gives added value to their tourism offer, as 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 out of your environment, so you are only 30 minutes away from the Dominican Republic and we have a new campaign that is a taste of paradise. So, don’t stop going to the Dominican.”
Source:Mitur.gob.do