Santo Domingo.– Finding villas and apartments for Easter has become an odyssey for many national tourists, who have decided to travel to the interior of the country at the last minute.
According to the authorities and real estate agents in different tourist destinations, the villas are 100% reserved in the northern and eastern regions. The same happens with hotels, which have an occupancy of 50.5%, equivalent to almost 70% of the available rooms.
The authorities recall that due to sanitary measures, occupancy is only allowed up to 60% of the capacity. This is the largest occupation after the health crisis imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Villa reservations
In the case of Samaná and Cabrera, a large number of villas have been reserved since November 2020 and are fully occupied. The demand for villas and residences is so high in the Cabrera area that families have decided to spend Easter with relatives to rent theirs and thus generate an extra income, said real estate advisor Elvyn Arnaud, from KW/Premium.
Real estate tourism has been the spearhead in the case of Samanát, where it has saved the sector after the closure of all-inclusive hotels and the drop in international tourism, Senator Pedro Catrain explained. He highlighted that the search for a second residence by foreigners who now work remotely has also flourished.
The projects of apartments, villas, ecolodges, and boutique hotels have maintained a high occupancy, always applying the health and safety protocols recommended by the health and tourism authorities.
The same has happened in Puerto Plata, a destination that has 100% of the villas and residences rented, said Stephany Khoury, director of tourism for the north.
Hotel occupancy
Hotel occupancy for Easter will be around 50.5%, as estimated by the National Association of Hotels and Tourism (Asonahores).
In the case of the East, occupancy exceeds between 60% and 70%. The Puerto Plata tourism director, Stephany Khoury, pointed out that they have reserved more than 50% of the available rooms and said they operate with a capacity greater than 80%.
The East Region Hotels and Tourism Projects Association (ASOLESTE) president, Ernesto Veloz, pointed out that the boom in real estate tourism needs to be regulated, since several people are dedicated to renting residences without any type of guarantee and security for tourists, which becomes unfair competition for businessmen and hoteliers, who are regulated and invest in security for tourists.
The number of public beaches and rivers allowed by the Civil Defense for use during Easter is 407.