SANTO DOMINGO.- Hotel occupancy in the main Dominican tourist destinations reached 80.8% last January, according to statistics from the Tourism Intelligence System (Situr), an agency of the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur).
Bavaro, Punta Cana, was the destination that registered the highest occupancy with a figure that rose to 86.6%, followed by Bayahibe, La Romana, with 85.7% of guests registered in the aforementioned establishments.
According to a report from the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur), the Dominican Republic received 948,737 visitors last January who chose the country as their destination for a variety of purposes, ranging from leisure and family gatherings to weddings and conferences. According to figures provided by David Collado, the Minister of Tourism, the first month of this year saw a 27% year-on-year increase, making it the best January in the country's tourism history.
Puerto Plata, where cruise tourism has experienced significant growth in recent times, is reported as the third destination where hotel occupancy reached 77.9%; in Sosúa-Cabarete there was a guest occupancy of 71.3%.
Boca Chica-Juan Dolio recorded an occupancy rate of 67.3% in its hotel establishments last January, followed by Samaná with 66.4%.
In Greater Santo Domingo, hotels were 55.9% occupied in the first month of 2024, while Santiago de los Caballeros experienced an occupancy rate of 53.7%.
Statistics from Situr show that of the visitors registered in these establishments, 91.3% are foreign visitors.
Record number of boats in January
Some 103 vessels arrived in the Dominican Republic with more than 319,410 passengers in January alone, through the country's various ports, according to a report presented by the statistics unit of the Dominican Port Authority (APORDOM).
The number of visitors who arrived in the country during the month of January 2023 was 139,305 compared to 319,410 passengers in the same month of 2024, which represents a percentage variation of 17 percent.
According to data from the Port Authority, the port with the most calls during the first month of the year was Taíno Bay with 35 vessels and a total of 121,458 cruise passengers, of which 47,122 were arrivals; 74,336 were in transit; 45,391 were part of the crew and 118 were departures.
The second port to receive the highest volume of visitors in January was Amber Cove with 28 vessels and 120,599 passengers, of which 20,050 were arrivals; 100,549 were in transit, 38,361 were crew and 109 were departures.
The director of the Port Authority, Jean Luis Rodríguez, assured that this increase in the arrival of vessels to Dominican soil during the month of January reflects an important milestone for the sector at the beginning of the year and serves as an economic boost for the provinces with tourist ports.
“This 2024 we will break records again! We closed the first month of this year with 103 cruise ships received and 319,821 visitors. Our country will continue to be successful in the cruise industry and this will be reflected in every port community,” said Rodríguez.
According to a report from the terminal management, APORDOM reported that 18 vessels touched La Romana, with a total of 54,151 tourists; of these, 23,834 were arrivals; 30,317 were in transit; 17,973 were crew members; and 17,123 were departures.
The report states that approximately five cruise ships arrived through the port of Catalina Island, carrying 12,668 visitors.
11,990 visitors arrived at the port of Samaná on five boats, followed by Cabo Rojo with 2,558 on its inauguration and, finally, 247 passengers arrived in San Souci.
The terminals that have received the most vessels are Amber Cove and Taíno Bay, both in Puerto Plata; followed by La Romana, Samaná, and Santo Domingo.
February cruises
The Dominican Port Authority projects receiving approximately 100 vessels in February.
The ports of Puerto Plata are expected to receive renowned cruise ships such as Celebrity Apex, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Getaway, Scarlet Lady, Norwegian Escape, Adventure of the Seas, Carnival Celebration, Norwegian Encore, among others.
Meanwhile, for Samaná, La Romana and Santo Domingo, ships such as the Aida Perla, Mein Schiff, Aida Luna, Evrima, Aida Diva, El Costa Pacifica, Club Med 2, among others, are projected to arrive.
