Q & A with Petra Cruz, Europe Director with the Dominican Republic’s Tourism Ministry

Petra Cruz is the director of Dominican Republic’s Tourism Ministry for Europe, based in Germany. She sat down with Caribbean News Digital and shared her opinion on the development of the travel industry in her country, the steps they are taking to receive 10 million visitors every year, the growing interest of German tourists in the Dominican destination and the importance of the MegaFam by Meier´s Weltreisen to take place in Cuba.

What does the Dominican Republic need to do to welcome 10 million tourists every year in less than a decade?

—We believe that we’re taking the proper steps to receive ten million tourists before the scheduled date. Significant investments have been devoted to tourism infrastructure in the country, as well as cleaning up works at the colonial city of Santo Domingo, which are important actions to keep on increasing the number of tourists coming to our country.

As for Dominican Republic’s tourism promotion offices in different markets we must keep on working on putting our destination on the map, with tourism offers for all preferences, interests and budgets.  That’s how we can keep positioning the Dominican Republic as the Caribbean’s leading travel destination.

What attributes stand out in Santo Domingo as a historic city and heritage destination?

—Santo Domingo is the destination of highest cultural richness in the Caribbean. Our visitors appreciate the charm of its paving streets and old stoned-made buildings. The first Cathedral of the New World, the Ozama fortress or the Three Eye Cave are some of the tourism attractions at the Dominican capital.

Gastronomy is another strong point in Santo Domingo with excellent restaurants, which serve both Dominican and international dishes. This is joined by museums, art galleries and theaters.

The distance between Punta Cana and the capital has been reduced to a two-hour drive by El Coral highway. This improvement has been a key element for a larger number of tourists to plan excursions from their beach hotels to the Dominican capital.

What does the Megafam of Meier´s Weltreisen, to be held in Cuba this year, stand for in terms of the knowledge about the Caribbean region among German travel agents?

—This kind of actions is very important, since travel agents play a leading role when it comes to promoting the Caribbean. We strongly believe that the professionals from travel agencies, who know our countries, provide better information to potential visitors on tourism offers in different Caribbean regions. “Bienvenidos 2015” (Welcome 2015) will take place in the Dominican Republic.

What is the trend for the German tourist outbound market in the Dominican Republic?

—The figures of German tourists visiting the Dominican Republic are very positive. In the first half of 2014 the number of tourists went up 9 percent. We’re looking forward to reaching a 15 percent increase of German tourists and 8 percent of Europeans in general. Once again, we hope to be the number one Caribbean destination for German tourists in 2014.

What attractions do German tourists like the most in the Dominican Republic?

—Along with the excellent temperatures and gorgeous beaches of Dominican Republic, German tourists are very interested in the eco-tourism offer of our country. That’s the reason why we’ve published a special brochure for nature enthusiasts, which sheds light on most of our natural treasures, as well as some of the best green hotels on the island. Likewise, we have launched important promotion campaigns, for instance, related to the north coast and the inner region of the country. And last but not least, the warmth, kindness and the big smile we welcome tourists with must be highlighted as well.

What are the most popular spas among German tourists?

—In Punta Cana and Bávaro we have some of the highest-quality spas in the Caribbean region. For instance, Six Sense Spa Puntacana Resort & Club features first-line facilities and services, even at the beach, and Bagua Spa at the Casa Colonial boutique hotel in Puerto Plata.

What’s the economic impact of the German market in the Dominican Republic?

—The entry and hotel taxes and fares of over 200,000 Germans visitors on an annual basis, as well as the products and services they consume during their stay.

How many flights does the Dominican Republic receive from Germany, Austria and Switzerland on a weekly basis? What are the most sought-after destinations?

—The 2014/2015 winter program includes seven nonstop weekly flights from Germany, one from Switzerland and one from Austria.

How many passengers do you receive on regular airline flights and how many on charters?

—All flights from Germany to the Dominican Republic are operated as regular airlines. During the cruise season, we have four weekly flights chartered by Aída and TUI cruises.

What has been the impact of Air Berlin’s two weekly flights to Puerto Plata, from Dusseldorf and Munich?

—These flights give a significant boost to the tourism on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Puerto Plata and Cabarete are very popular destinations among water sport enthusiasts, especially from Germany. Having nonstop flights from Germany and a growing hotel offer in the region have turned Puerto Plata into an even more attractive destination. I think we must also mention the new deluxe hotel by Gansevoorst, the U.S. hotel chain, slated to open in Sousa this December.

How many German tourists take cruises on the Dominican Republic?

—Nearly 158,000 passengers every year come aboard cruise liners that are homeported in the Dominican Republic, specifically on Aida Cruises and TUI Cruises, both of them homeported in La Romana.

How many visitors do you receive from the United States?

—In 2013 the Dominican Republic received 1.622,838 tourists coming from the United States.

What has the Dominican Republic done to become one of the most coveted places among golf enthusiasts?

—The Dominican Republic presently features over 30 golf courses created by such acclaimed designers as Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus or Robert Trent Jones Sr. These world-class properties are complemented by warm temperatures throughout the year, luxury resorts, unparalleled nature, cities and settlements with plenty of history and other tourism attractions that make our country stand out as a sought-after destination.

What’s the result of the Dominican Republic’s attendance to tourism fairs this year?

—We’re very happy for the work carried out at the fairs. Our campaigns to put on the map Dominican Republic’s tourism offers have been fruitful. There is growing interest in visiting not only the west coast with Punta Cana playing the leading role, but also the north coast and inner regions of our gorgeous island. The image our fair booths bring in tradeshows around the world is a very professional one and it goes hand in hand with the different market niches and outbound markets we want to foster.