The president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores) estimated hotel occupancy in the country at 80%, and predicted that this year could reach 10 million foreign visitors when the number of tourists arriving by air is added to cruise passengers.
David Llibre explained that this year the arrival of tourists exceeded 2019, a pre-pandemic year, and the same behavior if compared to 2022, which in itself was an important year because it meant the start, after the coronavirus pandemic, and this 2023 is a normal year of full growth.
Llibre said that it has been possible to observe this increase month after month, not only of passengers or tourists arriving by air, but also of cruise passengers, because there has been an important impulse in the arrival of cruise ships.
While participating in the D’AGENDA program, the business leader said that for the current year it is expected to reach 7.9 million in terms of air tourism, and two million in terms of cruise passengers.
He added that, based on these data, if both figures are added together, they will reach the famous ten million that the country has set as a goal in a period of ten years, that is to say, it is in line with these expectations.
“And, it is possible to emphasize that these results have been achieved thanks to the work that has been done by the private sector and the government institutions that work in the industry,” he said.
He gave as an example of the coordination between the public and private sectors, the decision of the current authorities to include representatives of Asonahores, and of the different airports, in the Marketing Committee of the Ministry of Tourism, which is where it is decided in a consensual manner where each dollar that the State contributes for the promotion of the country as a tourist destination is invested.
Source: Arecoa
