Puerto Rico fears to share tourists with the Dominican Republic

The birth of a two-way tourist destination between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico could give the former the inside track over the small U.S. protectorate, warned Rick Newman, chairman of the Hotel and Tourism Association of Puerto Rico.

In Mr. Newman’s opinion, the Dominican Republic will have access to the coveted market segment of American big spenders now dominated by Puerto Rico, while the island will continue reaping no benefits from middle-class Europeans who prefer Dominican destinations.

”Puerto Rico’s higher prices will be no lure to European middle-class travelers who usually lean to Dominican all-in destinations. The cost factor throws a monkey wrench in our bid to get a hold on that market,” Mr. Newman averred.

Dominican hotels, however, could pan out to be luring destinations for U.S. trekkers coming down to Puerto Rico, by far the island’s number-one income source.

Mr. Newman also said Puerto Rican authorities must conduct an all-embracing research study in order to identify the pros and cons of this alliance and determine whether it’ll be good to carry on with it.

On the other hand, the Puerto Rican top official said the island has a clear-cut chance of jacking up the number of hotel rooms with the addition of 8,000 to 10,000 new accommodations. To date, Puerto Rica counts on 12,000 rooms in all.

According to specialized studies, hotel occupancy rates have been hovering on steady figures as more rooms have been added.

Mr. Newman also revealed much bigger coordination efforts between the government and the private sector are required for Puerto Rico to remain competitive in the Caribbean market.

“The countries we’re vying against are very shrewd when it comes to figuring out where the chances are and we’ve always been behind the eight ball in terms of joining hands with others,” he concluded.

Mr. Newman commented the recent announcement of the Hyatt Regency Cerromar Hotel’s closedown in Vega Alta is giving quite black eye to the local leisure industry, a situation that could be offset if a shared-time project is finally developed there.