Fearing the loss of tourism
The grounds and orchid-filled interior of the Grand Bahia Principe Resort appear half-empty. Dozens of unoccupied tables surround the buffet restaurant; vacant chairs lie scattered near the serpentine pool. The hotel boasts more than 400 rooms. But on Tuesday, only a smattering of about 30 people relaxed — or tried to — on the private beach.
Two of the six American tourists who have died mysteriously on this Caribbean island in the past year died at the Grand Bahia Principe — a fact that has not gone unnoticed among prospective customers since the news broke last week. Yet that didn’t deter some off-season guests — especially those who had paid in advance.
“We were about to cancel our trip,” said Noemy Morales, a 67-year-old retiree from Texas who booked her trip months before the deaths became news. She came to celebrate her 50th anniversary with her husband, joined by her sister and a friend.
“But we wouldn’t be refunded, so I insisted we come.”
Morales’ concerns underscored a painful plight for the Dominican Republic.
This country of azure waters and white sand beaches, which attracts more American visitors than France, is suddenly facing a potentially devastating image problem.
Since a newly engaged Maryland couple was found dead here on May 30, the country and its tourism industry have been in an online storm.
An autopsy found that Nathaniel Edward Holmes, 63, of Temple Hills and Cynthia Ann Day, 49, of Upper Marlboro, died after their lungs filled with fluid, leading to respiratory failure, according to the national police.
Four similar deaths have been reported at nearby hotels, and claims have surfaced from people who say they were taken suddenly ill here. One website that collects food poisoning complaints from around the world — iwaspoisoned.com — now has dozens of posts by people claiming nausea and vomiting after stays at hotels here.
Adding to the spate of bad press: Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz was shot in the back late last Sunday in an ambush at an outdoor restaurant and bar in Santo Domingo, the capital.
The former MLB slugger, a Dominican native, was flown to Boston for further treatment and was in stable condition.
Local authorities say that the tourists died of natural causes and that there is no proof of a trend. The State Department has not issued a travel warning, and U.S. authorities have not asserted any connection between the deaths or foul play.
In San Pedro de Macoris, home to many hotel employees, residents expressed anger that bad press in the United States could hurt the economy.
Elias Cadete, a 67-year-old taxi driver, blamed “people in countries that are interested in robbing us of our tourists.”
“It’s worrying because tourism is the spinal cord of our economy,” he said. “If tourism falls, my country falls.”