Traveler loyalty according to Grupo Piñero's CEO

Traveler loyalty and why someone decides to return to the same destination is the core of a reflection by Encarna Piñero, Global CEO of Grupo Piñero. In a piece published by Infotur Dominicano, the executive uses nature's great migratory cycles, swallows, salmon, turtles, as a metaphor for what she calls the “instinct to return” of the tourist.

Piñero argues that this desire to repeat an experience is not random: it is built on memorable emotions, genuine treatment and environments that create a sense of belonging. For a destination like the Dominican Republic, where repetition is a key satisfaction indicator, the executive stresses that loyalty is not bought with discounts but earned with authentic bonds. The comparison to migratory birds is not poetry: it is a wake-up call for the industry to invest in experiences that make travelers instinctively want to come back.

My take: this approach fits perfectly with the strategy of MITUR and the large resorts in Punta Cana, Bávaro and Samaná, where repetition rates hover around 40-50%. Piñero not only defends loyalty as a goal but elevates it to a natural condition of quality tourism. But beware, the challenge is not to confuse recurrence with routine. The professional wins here by turning each stay into an experience the guest misses the moment they land back home. That is the true instinct to return.