Following the trend of several other sunny destinations, the Dominican Republic has just set another all-time tourism record. In August of this year, the Dominican Republic welcomed over 620,000 tourists, shattering its previous 2019 record. World-renowned beaches spotted with luxury all inclusives keep visitors coming back to this Caribbean gem year after year.
How Much Has Tourism Grown?
The Dominican Republic – especially Punta Cana – is becoming a staple on every tropical traveler’s wish list. New resorts are constantly springing up, and visitor counts continue to outpace previous years. The last year before the pandemic, 2019, was the country’s biggest year ever for tourism. However, 2022 has consistently been bigger. Air arrivals from January through August 2019 amounted to 4,664,036 visitors. This year saw an increase of about 5.15%, with total air arrivals for the same months amounting to 4,904,160 visitors.
Who Is Visiting?
Americans are the biggest market for the Dominican Republic, followed by Canadians. From January to August of this year, about 1.64 million Americans have flown to the Dominican Republic, taking up a 38.4% share of all international air arrivals. In second place is Canada, which has sent just over 384,700 air arrivals to the country. Hotel occupancy rates have been high all year, with an average rate of 72.4% between January and July. July was the most-booked month, with a hotel occupancy rate of 77.4%.
What’s Special About The Dominican Republic?
The Resorts
The Dominican Republic draws many different types of travelers. One of the most popular ways people visit the country is by staying at an all-inclusive resort. Most of the popular resorts are located in Punta Cana, which, like Cancun, is becoming an area known for its incredible beaches and a vast range of all-inclusive resorts. The Dominican Republic is home to over 100 all inclusives, and Punta Cana claims over 70 of them.
Travel Off Path recently looked at Punta Cana all-inclusives from January 14th through January 21st to get an idea of average costs for this coming winter. We found that, on average, Punta Cana’s 4-star all-inclusives were $239 per night, and there were 5 properties available for the dates chosen. For 5-star all-inclusives, the average nightly price was $422 per night, and there were 63 properties available. Compared to another all-inclusive hotspot, Cancun, the prices are quite favorable.
The Beaches
Punta Cana’s beaches are not as developed as Cancun’s, but that’s not a criticism. Punta Cana offers a better chance of finding a secluded place along the beach to call your own for an afternoon. The most popular beach is Bavaro Beach, which gives travelers a chance to feel like they are walking right into a postcard due to its appeal to the eye. For travelers taking advantage of an all-inclusive property, there are endless options dotting the beaches in Punta Cana.
The Weather
Many travelers head to the Caribbean every year to escape the cold for a week or two over winter. Indeed, the Dominican Republic is the perfect escape, and the weather in the most popular region, Punta Cana, is ideal in January. The average temperature is 76.6°F (24.8°C), and there are typically only 11 days of rain. Likewise, the ocean is inviting at an average temperature of 80°F (27°C), and the sun dutifully shines over the clear-blue waters each day. It can get a bit humid, with an average humidity of 76%, but with a bit of shade and a cold drink, most travelers would never notice.
Getting There
Most travelers to the Dominican Republic fly into Punta Cana Airport. Presently, Punta Cana does not have quite as many direct flights as Cancun. Still, airlines are noticing Punta Cana’s increase in popularity and have begun offering more nonstop flights. As a result, for a getaway in January, twenty U.S. cities will fly directly to Punta Cana (PUJ). Canadians will have eight cities flying directly to PUJ. For more detailed information on which cities and airlines are flying directly to Punta Cana this winter, read more HERE.
The Dominican Republic is making a name for itself, and this country’s tourism sector will likely continue to grow every year. Punta Cana is a significant draw for tourists interested in visiting the country, but there are even more hotel hotspots in the works. Additionally, travelers interested in visiting can read about how Punta Cana compares to Cancun HERE.
