Arajet flights to link cities with Santo Domingo
IAN STALKER
The spokesman for a Dominican Republic airline that will soon be linking both Montreal and Toronto with Santo Domingo says that Canadians who choose Arajet service will have the entire Dominican Republic at their feet when they arrive in the country’s capital.
Manuel Luna says arriving in Arajet’s home base of Santo Domingo — rather than going directly to such major tourism centres as Puerto Plata or Punta Cana — enables visitors to easily explore a country primarily known for its beaches but which Luna says has other interesting sides, many of which can be found in Santo Domingo itself.
“The good thing about traveling to Santo Domingo is that it opens up a range of possibilities worth exploring,” Luna says. “Punta Cana is easily accessible from Santo Domingo, in addition to Bayahibe in La Romana. The city of Santo Domingo also has a lot to offer culturally, which is something that we feel appears to Canadian visitors who are also culturally rich and like to combine the beach experiences with visits to historical places. Santo Domingo is very attractive in that regard because of its historical significance, being the first city of the New World. So I think Canadians will be delighted with these routes that will also offer the best prices in the market, new planes, the warmth of the Dominican hospitality and connections to many of our other destinations in the Americas.”
The low-cost carrier will begin four weekly Toronto flights Oct. 24. Montreal service will start Nov. 7 and also be four times a week.
Luna predicts the upcoming Canadian routes will attract many beach-goers, with Arajet having buses that will deliver people directly to hugely popular Punta Cana from Santo Domingo.
But Luna also expects that many travellers will spend time in Santo Domingo, taking in its historical and cultural attractions — before continuing on to a beach destination.
“As a leading economy in the Caribbean and given its historical relevance, Santo Domingo boasts a variety of cultural and gastronomic experiences,” he says. “For example, our colonial city has the first cathedral in the New World, as well as the first hospital and university. We also have and exciting nightlife which includes world-class restaurants, bars and lounges. Moreover, we have a wide range of museums, theatres and sports events that will make your visit to Santo Domingo a memorable one.”
Luna believes there is growth potential when it comes to people from this country travelling to the Dominican Republic, citing among other things Dominicans living here.
“We also want to increase the number of tourists that go from D.R. to Canada,” he says “I think that Dominicans can be delighted getting to know all the wonderful places that Toronto and Montreal have to offer as cities and their surroundings. So our objective here is not to compete with other carriers, but to grow the market.”
Travellers can be assured that “with Arajet they will find the best price, world-class services, and the comfort of flying in a new plane,” Luna continues.
Arajet started flying in September 2022 and Luna says its eager to work closely with travel agents. “Our aim is to get in touch with all travel agents so they learn more about Arajet and we can work closely together. We understand the Canadian market is moved mostly by travel agents so we want to have a long-term relationship with them.”
Arajet offers 22 destinations in 15 countries, and Luna says it’s proud that it’s building a new hub in Santo Domingo for the Americas, which he says is perfectly located by being in the centre of the Caribbean.
“Now Canadians can not only go to the D.R. with Arajet, but can also fly out to Sao Paulo in Brazil, Buenos Aires in Argentina or Santiago de Chile, as well as many other destinations in Central America and the Caribbean, with the best prices and the most efficient connectivity.”
Although Arajet is based is in Santo Domingo, it has started offering directs flight from Santiago de los Caballeros to Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia.
The carrier now has 5 planes, but by the end of the year its fleet will increase to 10 new Boeing 737 Max 8s and the plan is for continued growth in 2024.
More information can be found at arajet.com.
