Caribbean Country Sets Goal of Welcoming 11 Million Tourists by 2024

Lapped by the turquoise-blue waters of the Caribbean Ocean, it’s not a surprise why this tropical getaway is taking tourism by storm. 

Such a statement is not just empty marketing. Data shows the Dominican Republic welcomed 1.05 million air and cruise visitors only in February. 

This figure represents a 14 percent increase in travelers when compared to the same month in 2023, David Collado, Tourism Minister, told reporters.

Considering the incredibly positive arrival numbers in 2023, industry leaders decided to aim for a new record this year.

According to Collado, the island expects to welcome 11 million passengers in 2024. One million more than last year. Very ambitious, but still possible if the trend continues, states the minister.

There are powerful reasons to believe this goal is completely achievable. 

To begin with, last year, the Dominican Republic broke all records when it received a staggering number of 10 million visitors for the very first time in history. 

This milestone was achieved on December 26, with a tourist coming from the United States.

This was possible because both air and sea arrivals have steadily grown since 2019. Also, in 2023, 7.86 million air and 2.16 million ship travelers made it to the island.

It’s believed these figures play an important role in the country’s ongoing development and rural employment. Last year, officials reported a total revenue of over $11 billion.

Thanks to this economic growth, the island was able to open more than 620.000 positions for the local community.

What’s Behind the Dominican Republic’s Success?

The incredibly fast recovery of the Dominican Republic’s badly damaged tourism industry is a combination of multiple factors.

ForwardKeys has a hypothesis. According to the leading travel intelligence tool, the Caribbean island has excelled in targeting key high-spending markets through fully coordinated and multifaceted marketing campaigns. 

This has allowed the country to take home the recognition as the “World’s No. 1 tourism destination” twice over the last couple of years.

In turn, it has been showered by multimillion-dollar investments, even surpassing the amounts received before the pandemic.

Collado also acknowledges the innovative strategies the country has developed to promote brand-new luxury offerings related to sports and wellness. 

As a result of all these factors, the Dominican…