SANTO DOMINGO –The tourism sector has started the year on an upward trajectory, according to preliminary statistics on airline ticket reservations from visitors planning to come to the country during the first three months of this year. Reservations so far indicate that they will surpass those of 2023, when increases of 6.6%, 13.0%, and 16.5% were recorded during the same period.
Tourism Minister David Collado said yesterday that these reservations exceed those made to destinations with which the country competes in tourism, such as Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Cuba.
He noted that the United States, Canada, and Argentina are the main sources of tourists in those bookings, according to the international airline ticket sales platform.
These figures are in line with what happened last year, Collado said while participating in the Corripio Communications Group luncheon, recalling that the Dominican Republic received 12.03% of all tourists who traveled to the Caribbean.
He highlighted that these indicators were achieved in a geopolitical scenario of uncertainty in which inflation and a war situation have negatively impacted tourism activity at a global level.
He noted that the Russia-Ukraine war alone resulted in a loss of 600,000 tourists per year at the local level, but despite all these challenges, the country reached its goal of 10,306,517 visitors by air and sea, he emphasized.
He noted that this scenario motivated the tourism team to lead a tourism promotion strategy focused on the United States and emerging destinations.
“We have conducted more than 55 roadshows with travel agents and tour operators from Argentina, Canada and other nations,” he said, noting that this allowed 8,058,670 tourists to arrive in the country by air and 2,247,847 by sea during a time of high inflation and war.
He indicated that in December alone, 867,570 tourists arrived in the country by air, 106,635 more than in 2022, representing a 13 percent increase. He noted that 8,058,670 tourists arrived in the country between January and December, exceeding 2022 figures by 22 percent and 2019 figures by 25 percent.
He explained that in that same twelve-month period, cruise passengers represented a 45% increase compared to the same month in 2022.
Preferred Destinations
The most visited destinations last year were Punta Cana, with 42%; Santo Domingo, with 18%; Puerto Plata, with 12%, and La Romana, with 11%.
The main countries of origin for tourists were the United States, with 43%; Canada, with 16%; Colombia, 7%; Spain, 5%; and Puerto Rico, with 4%.
Contributions from the sector
According to the Vice Minister, Jacqueline Mora, the arrival of these tourists has translated into a contribution to exchange rate stability due to tourism revenues.
He cited the Central Bank's estimates that tourism revenues would reach $10 billion last year.
He detailed that in the case of formal purchases they totaled around 352,236 million pesos, for an increase of 13% compared to 2022.
Ninety-one percent of tourists who visited the country last year expressed satisfaction and interest in returning, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Tourism with visitors.
The study also shows that the main destinations are Punta Cana (La Altagracia), Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata.
The top three tourist activities in the country are visits to Saona Island (18%), buggy rides (14%), and snorkeling (18%). The survey was conducted with over 58,000 visitors, Tourism officials reported at the Corripio Group luncheon.
The revitalization of the Colonial City is progressing
The "Your Colonial City" intervention is progressing well and is scheduled to be completed in 2025, Amín Abel, director of the revitalization program for the colonial area, explained.
He noted that of the 28 projects included in the program, two museums are nearing completion, specifying that the Santo Domingo Fortress Museum and the Cathedral Museum will be delivered by the end of this month and the beginning of February. In addition, they will open a sustainable mobility route.
With information from El Día.
Cover photo: David Collado, Minister of Tourism/El Día.
