Cumulative tourist arrivals in the Dominican Republic increased by 35.7% in the first four months of the year compared to 2022.
This was announced on Monday (15) by David Collado, Minister of Tourism.
According to the report, 3,745,475 travelers visited the Caribbean dream destination in January-April, compared to 2,758,703 a year ago.
Presenting the statistical data of the sector, Collado said that it is a “new record” compared to the periods from 2018.
“The Dominican Republic has just experienced the best four-month period in history,” he stressed, pointing out that April was also an important month that maintains the trend of improvement with the arrival of 862,705 visitors, of which 681,567 arrived by air and 181,138 by sea.
Most tourists stayed in traditional hotels, with an average occupancy rate of 81%, while resorts reached 77% in April.
The hotel segment that ranked last in average occupancy was the short-term accommodation segment, with 41%.
The sector’s projections for the remainder of the year are for 7.9 million visitor arrivals, surpassing 2022’s 7.1 million.
“We see no near-term threats to tourism growth projections. This is a country blessed by God, and we continue to be an international leader in tourism,” Collado said.
According to the minister, the only issue already on the agenda is the Sargasso glut, although it has not yet impacted hotel stays.
AIRBNB AND REGULATION
Despite not being regulated, the numbers of short-term accommodations rented through online accommodation booking and rental portals such as Airbnb continue to rise.
Collado elaborated that 60% of the housing supply in the country is dominated by the Airbnb platform, which counted 40,850 registered properties with 99,609 rooms in March this year.
“This accommodation alternative has grown rapidly. It is a reality here and in other countries, and we need to find a way to integrate them so they can work with the sector,” analyzed the minister.
Subsequently, he explained that the final signing of a regulatory agreement could take place this week, with which they will have greater control over their spread in the country and thus be able to provide security to visitors who stay in these properties.
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