Dominican Republic why North Americans should Visit During their Winters

In a series of videos and images, the Change the Season campaign encourages U.S. travelers to escape their harsh winter climates and head to tropical surroundings in the DR, touting the country’s beaches, culture and a plethora of activities for all ages.

The campaign comes on the heels of record tourism growth for the Dominican Republic in 2023, much of which has been driven by U.S. travelers.

Americans lead as the number one source of visitors to the Dominican Republic at 54%. The U.S. also accounts for 50% of all inbound flights, including charter and commercial, and contributes to seven of the top 10 busiest air routes to the Dominican Republic.

Tourism minister David Collado Morales said the D.R. is working on an open skies agreement with the U.S., which could lead to increased capacity and lower airfares.

Dominican Republic why North Americans should Visit During their Winters

“We’re also working with airlines to drive down prices for flights,” Morales said, adding that the country has to respect the free market and fluctuating prices. “Despite the high cost of flights, tourism continues to grow.”

Morales said the country’s inbound tourism from the U.S. has grown 35% since 2019.

“We’re growing much more than previous years and our numbers are a lot higher, about 35% higher, than pre-pandemic, compared to 2019,” Morales said, adding that the country projects to reach 10 million tourists globally by the end of 2023, which would be a record high.

The return of cruising, and then some

D.R. cruising rebounded in 2023 with triple-digit growth, and Morales credits the country’s strengthening tourism numbers to cruising’s return.

To date, 1.7 million tourists have arrived via cruise to the Dominican Republic from January through September, Morales said, compared to all of 2019, when 1.4 million tourists arrived via cruise ship.

Travel advisors will factor into the Dominican Republic’s plans to promote tourism and continue attracting the U.S. market in 2024, Morales said.

“In November, we’re coming back to New York and we’ll have a meeting with more than 500 travel agents and tour operators,” Morales said.

Dominican Republic why North Americans should Visit During their Winters