by Brian Major
Last updated: 4:00 PM ET, Fri October 6, 2017
Palace Resorts has purchased a beachfront location in the Dominican Republic's Punta Cana region, where it will build an all-inclusive resort.
The property will be the company's first in the Dominican Republic, the most-visited Caribbean destination according to Caribbean Tourism Organization data. Moreover the Punta Cana district is generally considered the world's preeminent all-inclusive resort marketplace.
Speaking at a travel agent conference in Ocho Rios, Jamaica this week, the company's executive vice president Gibran Chapur said launching a Moon Palace resort in Punta Cana has been "an obsession" for the family owned resort company.
While he did not disclose details regarding the new resort's cost or size, Chapur promised "It will be the best property in the Dominican Republic, better larger and more amazing than any property in the Dominican Republic. I want to have clients thinking 'Should I go to Moon Palace Cancun, Jamaica or Punta Cana?"
The Palace executive revealed the Dominican Republic resort plan at the company's annual Global Conference, held this week at the Moon Palace Jamaica Resort in Ocho Rios, which opened last year.
Chapur said that in addition to its Punta Cana plans, Palace Resorts will partner with Jamaica's government to redevelop Ocho Rios' oceanfront area and downtown, which adjoin the Moon Palace Jamaica Resort property.
READ MORE: Outdoor Pool Coming to Punta Cana Airport
The Ocho Rios district is susceptible to floods and suffers from antiquated and insufficient infrastructure. While Jamaica's government has previously implemented programs to revamp the area, the downtown's condition remains an issue.
"We have purchased the [property] next door to us and it is extremely important to us that the Greater Ocho Rios Development plan is a complete success, not just for us, but for the destination itself," Chapur told the travel agent audience.
Chapur said Palace guests "come for the destination" despite the Moon Palace Jamaica's all-inclusive status. Ocho Rios' urban improvement "will make the difference between selling a destination and only selling the hotel," he said.
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