The cities where there is the greatest interest in traveling are the National District, La Altagracia, San Cristóbal, La Romana and Samaná, and among their main travel motivations are camping and hiking activities.
SANTO DOMINGO.- Interest in traveling and discovering new destinations has returned to the lives of many people after the restrictions implemented due to COVID-19. What is motivating people to travel? What are the most sought-after destinations right now?
In the context of World Tourism Day, celebrated today, September 27, the communications firm LLYC conducted a Big Data Analytics study on searches and digital public conversation to understand domestic travel and tourism trends in three Latin American destinations: the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Panama.
"These search trends were analyzed from 2019 to 2022 to examine significant changes in tourism behavior as a result of the COVID-19 situation. Mentions on Twitter, blogs, and news outlets in 2022 totaled 172,000 messages from 83,000 unique users, revealing that, due to the health pandemic, travel searches in these three countries decreased by up to 67%. However, interest in travel has resurfaced, causing search volume to increase by up to 86%compared to 2019," explains a press release sent to El Inmobiliario, a digital newspaper.
In the case of the Dominican Republic, it is at 88% compared to its peak in 2018, in Mexico it is currently at 86% compared to its highest peak in 2019, and Panama at 82% compared to its peak in 2019.
Domestic tourism, an opportunity for reconquest
The reality is that, nowadays, people prefer places to relax and vacation within their own territory; one of the variables for choosing the destination is that they can get there by land and with the ease of being able to choose between an Airbnb or a hotel that fits their accommodation budget.
In the Dominican Republic, searches for local tourism have increased by 22% since 2020, with a primary interest in traveling to the beaches of Punta Cana, Las Terrenas, and Samaná. Although the search volume is 53.1% lower than in 2017, interest in travel deals is growing. The cities generating the most travel interest are the National District, La Altagracia, San Cristóbal, La Romana, and Samaná, and camping and hiking are among the main travel motivations.
It is worth mentioning that, among the preferences of Dominican tourists, Punta Cana, Las Terrenas, Samaná, La Romana, Bayahibe, and Santiago de los Caballeros are the most frequently mentioned destinations, with Airbnb being the preferred option for travelers, leaving all-inclusive hotels in last place.
New ways to travel?
Having different options for both transportation and accommodation allows the traveler to experience various plans and experiences, either individually or in company.
Interest in searching for hotels when planning a trip remained a trend in all three countries until 2019, when Airbnb surpassed it by 1.53%. According to the LLYC study, the main factors influencing people's preference for Airbnb over hotels are price, length of stay, and the number of people traveling. However, what still keeps hotels relevant are security and the type of trip (e.g., business).
In the Dominican Republic, Airbnb has experienced exponential growth in searches, and the pandemic had a minimal negative impact on this. In contrast, the pandemic did affect hotel searches, which have only recovered to 86% of 2019 levels.
According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the latest World Tourism Barometer recorded a year-on-year increase of 182% in January-March 2022, with destinations worldwide receiving approximately 117 million international arrivals, compared to 41 million in the first quarter of 2021. UNWTO data shows that, during the first quarter of 2022, international tourist arrivals in the Americas more than doubled (+117%) over the same three-month period. However, arrivals in Europe and the Americas remained 43% and 46% lower than 2019 levels, respectively.
In short, Dominican tourism today is moving towards new tastes and demands from a consumer who has realized the treasures hidden on their island, which opens the doors to innovation and adaptation of tourism in the country.
About LLYC
LLYC is a global communications, digital marketing, and public affairs consultancy that helps its clients proactively make strategic decisions, leveraging the necessary creativity, innovation, and experience, and execute them while minimizing risks, capitalizing on opportunities, and always considering reputational impact. In today's disruptive and uncertain environment, LLYC helps its clients achieve their short-term business goals and establish a long-term vision to defend their social license to operate and enhance their prestige.
LLYC (BME:LLYC) is listed on the Spanish alternative stock exchange, BME Growth. It currently has 20 offices in Argentina, Brazil (São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro), Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), the United States (Miami, New York, and Washington, D.C.), Mexico, Panama, Peru, Portugal, and the Dominican Republic. It also offers its services through affiliated companies in other Latin American markets.
The two leading industry publications rank LLYC among the world's most important communications companies. It is number 36 in global revenue according to PRWeek's 2022 Global Agency Business Report and ranks 42nd in PRovoke's 2022 Global Ranking. LLYC was named Best Communications Consultancy in Europe 2022 at the PRWeek Global Awards and Communications Consultancy of the Year in Latin America at the 2021 International Business Awards.
