Expedia Reports Steady Growth in Travel, Room Bookings in the Dominican Republic

Representatives from Expedia speaking at this year's Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE) conference outlined the boom in tourism to Dominican Republic and their plans to continue investing in the destination.

The travel booking leaders announced that, since 2012, they have seen a 134 percent growth in room night production throughout the whole country, with the United States leading as Expedia's largest source market of travelers to Dominican Republic, up 22 percent compared to the site's 2015 numbers.

Broken down by destination, bookings to the Punta Cana area increased 165 percent, travel to Santo Domingo by 60 percent and travel to Samaná by 190 percent. Punta Cana remains Expedia's top-producing market in the Caribbean, alone boasting more than 15 percent growth annually.

Dominican Republic tourism representatives speaking on behalf of the National Hotel & Tourism Association (ASONAHORES) also announced at DATE a growth of 5.8 percent in overall tourism to the country – a number alone growing faster than the Caribbean's overall rate of 3.7 percent. Growth rates in the country are approximately double the world average, tracking at a median growth of 5.1 percent over the last five years.

The Dominican Republic is projected to reach six million total visitors in 2016 – based on numbers thus far, the country is on track to meet the targeted seven percent growth needed to achieve this. The United States and Canada are the largest source markets for Dominican tourism as a whole, with two million total US visitors and 780,000 Canadian visitors in 2015.

Dominican Republic boasts eight international airports throughout the country, each positioned in a key travel region to ensure convenience of travel, and currently welcomes flights from 26 countries and counting. With two on-site offices now open in Punta Cana and Santo Domingo, Expedia plans to continue to invest in Dominican Republic and build toward a strong future with other tourism partners.

Noting that Expedia users book an average of 51.6 days in advance and plan a visit to Dominican Republic spanning an average of 4.5 days, the country is positioned to continue to serve as a quick, accessible and affordable getaway for families, couples, groups and more.

Source: Caribbean News Now