Santo Domingo Loses Tourists to Soaring Service Costs

Increasingly higher operational costs and heavy taxation have combined to make a meal at a Santo Domingo restaurant pricier than in any fancy eatery in Miami or New York City, a situation that´s causing the country heavy casualties in the tourism rank and file, the National Hotels & Restaurants Association (ASONAHORES) reported this week.

According to ASONAHORES Chief Enrique de Marchena Kaluche, it´s becoming increasingly harder for any foreign tourist to dine out in the Dominican capital unless he´s willing to fork over 35 bucks.

And this situation -he adds- is making a cleft in the local travel industry, let alone making the sector far less competitive and more expensive for international sunbathers.

However, hotel fares in Santo Domingo have stayed put regardless of the depression and lack of incoming guests. Hoteliers have therefore been unable to readjust their room prices, especially in urban lodgings.

And speaking of cities, spiking prices of complementary services, such as fuel, power and water supplies, are also splintering the hospitality industry.

Mr. De Marchena explained the ongoing situation is undermining the confidence of traditional visitors who don´t buy all-inclusive packages and prefer dining out in the city´s restaurants, renting cars, shopping around and eating junk food on the run.

In addition to higher operational costs, there are other factors hitting the leisure industry hard in Sano Domingo, chiefly rampant crime, power outages and traffic gridlock.

But Mr. De Marchena goes a tad further in his personal assessment and mentions lack of promotion and rundown infrastructure in Santo Domingo as key factors as well.