EFE
Cancun, Mexico
Andrés Marranzini, executive vice president of Asonahores, the Dominican Republic's Hotel and Tourism Association, explained that the Dominican hotel sector closed 2022 with a national occupancy rate exceeding 75% on average.
Speaking to EFE, the businessman stated that before the pandemic, "we were close to 70% occupancy, but never at the levels we experienced in 2022." He added that in December alone, they surpassed 700,000 visitors, a figure he described as "a milestone," compared to an average of 400,000 visitors per month in 2022.
"It's a very good occupancy rate. Every month we receive more tourists than we did pre-pandemic," he noted.
The EFE Mexico publication states that tourism in the Caribbean rebounded in 2022 after the pandemic with record numbers on the Mexican beaches of Cancun, in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and an almost total recovery in Colombia, although still with delays in Cuba.
The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism recorded 7.1 million tourists by air and 1.3 million by cruise ship, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and reaching record figures in 2022, the year in which the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) recognized it for its "exemplary" tourism recovery.
According to figures from the Ministry of Tourism, visitors generated a record $8.671 billion for the country last year, with a 10% increase compared to 2019 in tourist arrivals by air and a 20% increase in cruise ship arrivals.
Mexico
In Mexico, a country that accounts for almost half of Latin America's international tourism, according to the consulting firms Statista and Latinometrics, Quintana Roo had a record of more than 30 million arrivals at the Cancun airport, according to the state government.
"We closed with a total of 19.7 million tourists; these were people who stayed overnight in our hotels, and here we are adding up national and international tourists," detailed Javier Aranda, director of the Quintana Roo State Tourism Promotion Council, where Cancun is located, which attracts about 47.5% of international tourism in Mexico.
Mexico consolidated its position as the third most visited country in the world during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic due to the absence of restrictions, but Aranda stated that many are now "repeat" tourists.
“These tourists, although they have the opportunity to go to other places, have already experienced the delights of enjoying the different destinations of Quintana Roo, and that gives us a great advantage because they want to return to explore more,” Aranda emphasized.
The official explained that the total number of hotel rooms now totals almost 127,000 after the investment was recovered.
“There were more than 235 restaurants with investments of more than one million dollars in the Mexican Caribbean, from Chetumal to Holbox,” added Marcy Bezaleel Pacheco, state president of the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (Canirac).
Also a milestone in Puerto Rico
The tourism sector in Puerto Rico had a record in 2022 both in jobs in the industry (more than 91,000) as well as in lodging revenue ($1.6 billion) and passengers at its international airport (more than 10 million).
"We had a very good year in 2022, surpassing 2021, which had been the best year in Puerto Rico's history in terms of tourism," Ricardo Cortés, director of Public Affairs for the official tourism promotion organization Discover Puerto Rico, told EFE.
Cortés highlighted that the industry "is growing and expanding and is showing very healthy numbers for the local economy.".
He cited as "milestones" the 14.6% growth in employment compared to 2019, and the $1.6 billion in revenue in the local accommodation industry, almost double what existed six years ago.
Colombia: practically recovered
Tourism in Colombia has practically recovered after the pandemic, with more than 3.5 million international travelers between January and October 2022, a growth of 145.2% compared to the same period of the previous year, according to Migration of Colombia.
Compared to the same months in 2019, the year before the pandemic, the figures represent a recovery of 98.6%.
The mecca of Colombian tourism continues to be Cartagena de Indias, a sun and beach destination that, in addition to its attractive colonial buildings, also became the "Leading Honeymoon Destination in South America 2022", a recognition received at the World Travel Awards 2022, known as the "Oscars of Tourism".
"When you arrive in Cartagena, you truly breathe in love; the city is very romantic, a wonderful setting, with a special vibrancy. The Caribbean sunsets add a touch that is very seductive to couples," Natalia Bohórquez, executive president of the Cartagena de Indias Tourism Corporation, told EFE at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) in Madrid.
Cuba still lags behind
Cuba aims to reach 3.5 million tourists this 2023, still far from the 5 million reached before the pandemic.
The island faces this key challenge for its economic recovery, as tourism is the second largest contributor to gross domestic product (GDP) and the third largest source of foreign exchange, having fallen short of its target of 1.7 million in 2022.
However, José Luis Perelló, a professor at the University of Havana and an expert in tourism, stated in an interview with EFE that reaching 3.5 million is "not possible," so his estimate for this year is around 2.3 million.
He explained that part of Cuba's problems in recovering to pre-2020 levels are the sanctions imposed by the United States and the ruling in that country against the main international cruise lines that call at Havana.
Perelló also defended state investment in new, large-capacity luxury hotels, while independent studies estimate that current occupancy is well below 50%.
