Dominican Republic Among Fastest-Growing Destinations In The Caribbean

Last Updated 8 months ago

New figures show that the Dominican Republic’s upward trend among travelers continues to grow. The tropical island’s strong momentum was just confirmed by ForwardKeys, a leading online travel industry analyst firm.

Aerial view of a Punta Cana beach with boats

According to its most recent study, interest in the Dominican Republic has grown by 12% compared to 2019, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, making it one of the fastest-growing countries for tourism in the Caribbean.

New Figures Reveal Dominican Republic’s Tourism Potential

In February, the Dominican Republic reported yet another record-breaking month for international travel as over 800,000 visitors flocked to the sun-soaked island. While March figures are yet to be published, the country is likely to see another record-shattering month for travel.

Meanwhile, ForwardKeys, an industry travel industry trends company, just published new statistics on the fastest-growing Caribbean countries for tourism this year. Unsurprisingly, the Dominican Republic was found to be among the hottest destinations in 2023, outperforming other tropical hotspots like Curacao and Martinique.

Despite economic concerns back home – inflation has put a dent in consumer spending – it appears that travel is one thing Americans don’t want to let go of. And with travel numbers growing across the board, consumers are keen on tropical destinations above all else.

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Americans More Interested In Dominican Republic Than Ever Before

More and more Americans are choosing Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic as their holiday destination this year. In fact, the tropical island was recently ranked as the second most popular international holiday destination for U.S. travelers by TripAdvisor.

With affordable flights, excellent accommodations, and plenty of new destinations to discover, the Dominican Republic is expected to further rise in popularity among Americans in 2023.

This is all the more so if the United States and the Dominican Republic sign a new open skies treaty; analysts say the groundbreaking deal could be signed as early as this year. Experts have also added that U.S. travelers could benefit massively from new air routes, which currently operate mostly out of large regional hubs like Atlanta or New York.

Meanwhile, Canada and the tropical island forged a similar deal this February, a move which is expected to cut down on red tape and make flying cheaper.

Aerial view of a resort area in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is projected to welcome over 8 million travelers in 2023; nearly 70% are expected to be Americans, a figure which has remained consistent over the years.

While Punta Cana remains the principal resort destination in the country, new hotspots are popping up: from Miches in the northeast to Pedernales in the country’s southwestern tip, the Dominican Republic is full of new sights to discover.

A resort beach in Punta Cana with blue water and skies

Even though air travel continues to grow in huge numbers, officials are investing heavily in cruise ship infrastructure. The Dominican Republic has big plans when it comes to cruising, and the country is preparing for a record number of cruise ship passengers this year.

The country is already home to several impressive ports, including Taíno Bay and Amber Cove in Puerto Plata. Officials are currently preparing to launch a brand new port called Port Cabo Rojo in Pedernales. Slated to open in December this year, the state-of-the-art port will be capable of handling up to a million passengers per year.

A remote beach with palm trees and blue waters

Surrounded by lush nature and massive national parks, Pedernales is on its way to becoming the Dominican Republic’s next tourism hotspot. The seaside location will have over 12,000 new hotel rooms in the coming years, with brands like Hyatt and Iberostar announcing new investments there.