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Competition for the tourism crown of the Caribbean has always been a closely fought battle. From Tulum to Jamaica, there is no shortage of great destinations for travelers to get their vacation fix.
But recently, most notably since the pandemic, the Dominican Republic has emerged as a true powerhouse in the Caribbean vacation space.
The Dominican Republic isn’t just becoming more popular; it is consistently breaking its own tourism records. A testament to the huge effort this country has made to place itself in pole position.
Smashing Records
In the first 6 months of 2023, the nation has received more than 4 million travelers to its beautiful beaches, breaking the previous records set for this time period.
And it isn’t just across longer periods that the Dominican Republic is seeing records broken.
The country, like its Mexican neighbor of Cancun, sees the winter period as its high season. Yet this summer season so far has been epic, with June alone seeing a 21% increase in traveler numbers compared to 2022.
Tourism numbers are pretty far from the list of reasons travelers choose a destination of course, but it is a great measure of the worthiness of this tourism hotspot.
Not only are people returning year after year, but word of mouth is spreading that this is the Caribbean’s biggest jewel.
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The Dominican Republic has many great destinations within its borders, but none of them come close to the astronomical popularity of Punta Cana.
From day 1 Punta Cana was planned as a tourism destination, and it shows, the area is wonderfully laid out and serious care has been taken to ensure travelers never experience a boring day on vacation.
In fact, so popular is Punta Cana with Americans that it is now the third most popular foreign destination for the nation. Joining the long-popular Cancun and Los Cabos in the top 3.
Responsible Tourism
This small Caribbean nation is taking serious steps to ensure tourism is a positive for their country and doesn’t overstep the mark into an environmental negative.
Eco-tourism is very popular here, but across the board, resorts, tour operators, and other supporting businesses are committed to keeping the impact of tourism within reason.
The country is, after all, a natural paradise. Covered with sprawling jungle, rolling mountains, and a coastline that has stolen the breath from travelers since Europeans first landed here over 500 years ago.
One of the most ambitious environmental plans for the nation is to completely remove the use of disposable plastic in hotels and resorts. A plan that is being rolled out gradually to ensure a smooth transition for travelers.
Big Plans For The Future
In 2022 the Dominican Republic had a record 8.5 million travelers arrive in the nation. A huge increase from the previous record of 6.5 million.
But, for this flourishing Caribbean nation that milestone is one they want to smash again this year, and so far, it looks like they’re well on their way with the peak season still to arrive.
Travelers don’t need to worry about the over-urbanization of Punta Cana, construction is tightly controlled in the tourism industry, and the nation understands that travelers come here for a slice of paradise and not to spend their hard-earned vacation in a concrete jungle.
To that end, a focus now has been turned to developing new sister destinations to Punta Cana, taking the huge, successful lessons learned in its development and popularity, and applying them to other equally majestic areas of the country.
An example of this is the Amber Coast. This beautiful stretch of coastline in the north of the Dominican Republic is already home to the historically rich destination of Puerto Plata.
But plans are in place to develop this stunning coastal area into yet another unforgettable destination.
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