Dominican Republic Reports Visitor Growth in 2008

The Dominican Republic, the second-largest Caribbean nation, experienced a slight visitor increase in 2008 despite the international economic slowdown. According to a recent report issued by the DR Ministry of Tourism, arrivals increased slightly in 2008 with over 3.4 million guests choosing the DR as their vacation destination. This is a 1.45 percent increase compared to the same period in 2007.

Visits to the DR from the U.S. remain steady, with more than 1 million arrivals for the fourth consecutive year. In addition, North American arrivals to the DR exceeded those from Europe for the fourth successive year by approximately 24 percent.

The most popular destination in the DR for visitors continues to be Punta Cana on the East Coast, as its international airport received nearly 1.9 million resident and non-resident arrivals in 2008. The second most visited airport is Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo with nearly 1 million arrivals, followed by Puerto Plata International Airport on the North Coast; El Cibao International Airport in the Central region; La Romana International Airport, also on the East Coast; El Catey International Airport on the Northeast Coast; and La Isabela International Airport, also in Santo Domingo.