[CIAFreeAgent]

Are there less tourists now? Are there more Haitians in DR? Are tour operators still operating as normal?

[ReggieRed]

I believe the DR will be adversely affected economically. Sensitive and fear borne tourists will stay away from the whole island for fear of another earthquake.

The DR's export base to Haiti comprises, I believe, about 20% of its total. Haiti will not be using any of that and will be, most likely, depending on foreign aid for the foreseeable future.

The Haitians already in the DR will not be returning anytime soon. More poor Haitians will be coming to the DR seeking employment and a new land to permanently take residence in.

The DR can NOT stop this since they are beholden to the international financiers that fund their profligate lifestyles. Also, they will be in the limelight to aid their neighbors.

So in few words- THE DR is SCREWED.

[AnetTeilor]

I am a tourist and I am scheduled , and will fly, to arrive in RD next Tuesday for 3 months. I will travel as I planned.

Keep in mind a lot of money will flow to Haiti for relief and rebuilding.
Some of this money should flow thru to the RD.
Perhaps the RD government should start working on being the agent to supply as much of what is needed as possible.

Perhaps, even the Haitians can get some employment and stay in their own country ~!~

[Alexunda]

i think this should end up as an economic boost to the DR since so much resources needs to come through here. also demand will be increased dramatically, funded by outside donations, which will grow many DR businesses

[Erawise]

Yesterday I had a week's booking in February cancelled & refund requested due to "fear of another earthquake and tsunami".

Also, just told that Continental & JetBlue cancelled flights into Pto Plata today due to earthquake and aftermath?? WTF?? My source says clients flying in have told her that & the airlines confirm. Surely not!

Update: just looked at their websites... cancelled! Go figure.

[Muesrasrs]

I'm going down to Sosua next Sunday for 2 months and no way I'll cancel my trip.

[advabHixavoip]

I mean guys you have to realize most of the world is flying into Haiti to help out.. I doubt it will affect tourism in the RD tremendously. But as of right now Airlines like American Airlines are flying doctors and nurses into Haiti just to aid... Imagine if that happened across the border? do you guys honestly think you would be thinking about tourism.. people are still trying to assess the how many dead.

[outdog]

My tickets to Punta Cana were more than $100 cheaper than the price I researched in the past. Do you think earthquake might be the reason? I have experience earthquakes in Uzbekistan and Hawaii. So, I am not scared.

[GooogleGuy]

Yesterday I had a week's booking in February cancelled & refund requested due to "fear of another earthquake and tsunami".

Also, just told that Continental & JetBlue cancelled flights into Pto Plata today due to earthquake and aftermath?? WTF?? My source says clients flying in have told her that & the airlines confirm. Surely not!

Update: just looked at their websites... cancelled! Go figure.

That is not true!
jetblue is waiving the change fees, not cancelling flights.

JetBlue:Travel Info:Weather Alert

Continental Airlines - Timetable Results

[njfeedd3w]

That is not true!
jetblue is waiving the change fees, not cancelling flights.

JetBlue:Travel Info:Weather Alert

Continental Airlines - Timetable Results

I also checked the Jetblue, Continental and AA sites. All appear on time. We have guests leaving today and others arriving Friday. Also have had 3 planes go over on their approach to POP in the last 20 minutes. I'm in the flight path.

What about the fire reported at POP in the other new thread?

I would like an expert to comment about the odds of a tsunami from the Port au Prince area hitting the D.R. Looking at a map it would have to bend a lot to hit the D.R. shores. I'm thinking of how a ring is formed and acts from a center point in water. Ripple effect?

Ringo

[Alexunda]

i saw somewhere we ended up with a 12cm "tsunami" here in santo domingo

[Erawise]

That is not true!
jetblue is waiving the change fees, not cancelling flights.

JetBlue:Travel Info:Weather Alert

Continental Airlines - Timetable Results

I'm sorry, Tambo.... but at the time I posted it WAS true.
Their website listed Flight 811 as cancelled today & return flight also.
The incoming clients at the airport were told it was cancelled.
It now says "Diverted" but has an arrival time for later today.

Perhaps the issue involved the fire at the airport in POP, not the quake.

And yes, they do have a page saying flights are going as normal but to check in advance. I had clicked thru and checked specifically on today's flight.

[HedgeYourBets]

Perhaps the RD government should start working on being the agent to supply as much of what is needed as possible.

Perhaps, even the Haitians can get some employment and stay in their own country ~!~

The Dpminican Republic is already recognized as key to getting supplies and personnel to the affected area. Almost every news crew from the U.S. has reported from Santo Domingo before being helicoptered into Haiti. The D.R. is widely recognized as the key marshalling area for the relief effort.

Most of the humanitarian organizations are asking for money, not just to give emergency aid but to sustain aid as the rebuilding process is undertaken. Many of the NGO's which have been there for years are receiving record donations and the labor used for the rebuilding effort will most definitely be Haitian. There will be a lot of jobs created in this effort and I believe that will inspire many Haitians who are in the D.R. to return. Time will tell. First they've got to deal with the more immediate humanitarian need.

[XiWm9O9S]

Perhaps, even the Haitians can get some employment and stay in their own country ~!~

There are 2 million Haitians in the DR. You actually believe that this catastrophe is going to make them decide to return to a nation they weren't interested in before this collapse.

Well, time will tell but I highly doubt it.

[Erawise]

I also checked the Jetblue, Continental and AA sites. All appear on time. We have guests leaving today and others arriving Friday. Also have had 3 planes go over on their approach to POP in the last 20 minutes. I'm in the flight path.

What about the fire reported at POP in the other new thread?

I would like an expert to comment about the odds of a tsunami from the Port au Prince area hitting the D.R. Looking at a map it would have to bend a lot to hit the D.R. shores. I'm thinking of how a ring is formed and acts from a center point in water. Ripple effect?

Ringo

Here's the current 11:45am DR time Continental website flight status

[jokiruss]

The Continental flight to POP was cancelled (so says Continental website) but I bet it has to do with that fire at the airport and not the earthquake.

[Bvghbopz]

a lot of money will flow to Haiti for relief and rebuilding.
~!~

Will flow? Sure?

All pledges always are materialized into real money?

Millenium Development Goals?
Commitments of the Beijing Women`s Conference?
Official Development Aid? - All of them were much more serious international events that an earthquake in one small country that will be forgotten in the media in a week.

Even funds that will be released - will go mostly you know where to... If you familiar with the real situation on the ground close enough... Some new jeepetas... Some new mountain villas...Some new Swiss accounts...

[BEyng6hj]

Afgan, A disaster of this magnitude will probably warrant international oficials to make sure all funds are properly dispersed and don't end up somewhere else. Only time will tell.

[njfeedd3w]

Yesterday I had a week's booking in February cancelled & refund requested due to "fear of another earthquake and tsunami".

Also, just told that Continental & JetBlue cancelled flights into Pto Plata today due to earthquake and aftermath?? WTF?? My source says clients flying in have told her that & the airlines confirm. Surely not!

Update: just looked at their websites... cancelled! Go figure.

This is confusing and when I looked again, you are right about Continental and Jetblue was deverted/delayed?. A.A. And Delta show on time.

I don't know what to tell our people leaving on Delta today other then we will go the the airport as planned and see.

Thanks, Ringo

[GooogleGuy]

Let's see where it is diverted to: