SANTO DOMINGO – In light of the geopolitical tension currently affecting the Middle East and the uncertainty it could generate regarding long-haul air routes, the Romana-Bayahibe Hotel Association (AHRB) stated that the destination is already working on a strategy aimed at strengthening short- and medium-haul destinations, anticipating the possible consequences that could arise from the conflict.
During the presentation of the entity's 2026 strategic agenda held yesterday, Wednesday, Andrés Fernández, president of the association, explained that the international context and the situation related to the Strait of Hormuz have led the tourism sector to rethink part of its promotional approach.
“We are seeing that the situation arising with the Strait of Hormuz is causing the Ministry of Tourism to refocus its promotional policy towards shorter destinations, in order to try to avoid potential risks,” Fernández said.
The hotelier indicated that, although the situation has not directly impacted the behavior of Dominican tourism so far, the sector is seeking to anticipate any possible impact stemming from the international scenario.
“To date, the impact of the Strait of Hormuz has not been truly felt, but if it continues over time and could lead to some kind of impact, we will now focus on short or medium distance destinations,” he said.
The United States gains priority within the strategy
Ana García-Sotoca, executive director of AHRB, explained that strengthening nearby markets is part of the strategy that the destination is currently developing to maintain its competitiveness and tourism stability.
Within that approach, the United States was identified as the main target market for this year, due to its proximity, air connectivity and constant flow of visitors to the Dominican Republic.
“These are shorter flights, and we understand that this is the natural market for the Dominican Republic and also La Romana-Bayahibe,” Fernández noted during the meeting.
The association highlighted that, although Argentina continues to be one of the most important markets for the destination, the current international scenario requires balancing promotion between long-haul flights and closer markets.
Currently, Argentina accounts for more than 30% of hotel occupancy in some periods of the year for hotels in La Romana-Bayahibe, according to data shared by the entity.
Argentina will continue to be key to the future
Fernández emphasized that promotion in Argentina will continue to strengthen, especially due to the potential represented by the new cruise operations from the port of La Romana.
Starting in November, MSC Cruises will begin operations with the MSC Opera ship using La Romana as a hub port, allowing Argentine tourists to combine cruises with hotel stays in Bayahibe and La Romana before or after their sea voyage.
“I have had the opportunity to visit Argentina on several occasions in recent months because there is a great deal of promotion going on there, not only for the La Romana-Bayahibe destination, but also for the possibility that Argentinians will have to travel by cruise ship from the port of La Romana,” the businessman concluded.
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