Cruise tourism grows 191% in January compared to January 2022, being the month with the highest arrival of cruise passengers in the history of the country.
The tourism industry is one of the pillars of the Dominican Republic’s economy and continues to prove it year after year, and authorities and the private sector know it and combine their actions to attract vacationers and also to take care of the destinations.
The year 2022 was very successful in attracting tourists to the country and from what January brings, this year will be even better.
The Minister of Tourism, David Collado, offered his usual monthly report this Monday, in which he states that the year 2023 started the same or even stronger than the year 2022.
The recently ended month of January became the best January ever for the Dominican Republic with the arrival of almost one million visitors.
More than 948 thousand tourists in January
The report reveals that 674,737 tourists entered the country by air for a growth of 27% with respect to 2022; and 273,845 cruise ship passengers arrived in the country for a growth of 191% with respect to 2022. This results in a total of 948,582 visitors, which translates into a 52% growth in total visitor arrivals through the country’s airports and ports.
“The challenge in 2023 is to surpass ourselves, after the extraordinary results of 2022, and we are achieving it,” said Minister Collado.
The official explained that this is the result of the tireless work of the tourism cabinet headed by President Luis Abinader, as well as the Mitur team.
Also of the harmony and teamwork that is being done hand in hand with the private sector to promote and continue to grow the arrival of foreigners to the country, said Collado.
The arrival of cruise passengers
Also speaking at the event was the vice minister of tourism, Jaqueline Mora, who explained that as far as cruises are concerned, January 2023 was the month with the highest arrival of cruise passengers in the history of the country. She said that it surpassed by almost 50% the previous record which was January 2017 when 186 thousand passengers arrived in the Dominican Republic, versus more than 273 thousand.
“And not only was it the best month in history in terms of cruise arrivals, it was also the one with the highest number of operations with a total of 112 operations within which the largest cruise ship in the world, the “Wonder of the Seas” with a capacity of almost 7 thousand people, was received at the port of Taino Bay” stated Mora.
Aerial visits
In terms of air visits the month of January 2023 had an increase of 27% over the same month of 2022 and 13% over January 2019, with the most visited airport being Punta Cana which received 406 thousand tourists, followed by Las Americas with 141 thousand and then Santiago and Puerto Plata with 62 thousand and 45 thousand respectively.
Hotel occupancy.
The average hotel occupancy stood at 78% in January 2023, surpassing the average occupancy of 2022 which was 71%. The tourist center with the best average occupancy rate was La Romana / Bayahibe with 84%, followed by Punta Cana / Bavaro with 83%.
Source: Diariodigital.com.do
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