Gay Nagle Myers
I was curious to check up on the status of the Punta Cana Promise, a collaboration launched in November by hotels in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, that pledged their commitment to an eight-point plan regarding guest security, safety and service guidelines.
This initiative was a move to help rebuild traveler, and travel advisor, confidence in Punta Cana following several tourist deaths in the Dominican Republic last year that resulted in intense media coverage that triggered cancellations and a plunge in visitor arrivals. Speculation that tainted alcohol at the resorts caused the deaths proved unfounded, as investigations by the FBI and authorities in the D.R. found no evidence or connection to tainted alcohol and confirmed that the tourists died from natural causes.
Visitor numbers to the D.R. in 2019 were 5.3 million, down from 5.6 million in 2018. The U.S. market accounted for 40.8% of the total, down from 41.5% in 2018.
The Punta Cana Promise currently has 16 hotel groups in its roster, representing more than 60 properties and 75% of the accommodations in Punta Cana.
"We are thrilled about the growth of the consortium, which we believe is a clear signal that the Punta Cana Promise has momentum, is producing positive results and is perceived by the industry as a solid and propitious initiative," said Encarna Pinero, CEO of Pinero Group and president of Inverotel.
"The PCP is a promise from us that when you're here, you are a part of our family," she said, referring to the collaboration by its initials.
The seal of the Punta Cana Promise is predominantly displayed at every property that is a member of the consortium.
Key elements of the promise include policies on screening and background checks for all employees and working with top-in-industry food and beverage distributors from the U.S. and the U.K, according to Pinero. The promise requires that each property provide 24-hour security and medical assistance as well as safety information and phone numbers to guests at check-in; maintain a high staff-to-guest ratio; exceed tourism and hospitality regulations and guidelines; and offer hotel-affiliated vacation activities and excursions by reputable partners who are licensed and insured.
"Since last summer, the booking pace from the U.S. has been slow, but now we are seeing an increase in visitors and some positive progress, especially in the luxury leisure sector, although we still have a long way to go," Pinero said.
"We understand that there are still concerns that we need to proactively address, which is why we created the PCP with the primary objective to inform U.S. travelers that Punta Cana always has been a safe tourist destination and remains that way," she said.
She added that "travel advisors have always been confident in the D.R., and the PCP is a new way to reinforce their confidence and approach safety head-on for our guests. We encourage all travel advisors to review the promise with clients to answer their questions before booking their next vacation."