The DR sees continued growth, new hotels

The Dominican Republic continues to be a favourite vacation destination for Canadian travellers, with key regions like Punta Cana and Samana gaining particular interest among visitors and developers alike.

In Samana, which has seen an increase in demand since 2011 and experienced a hotel occupancy of 78.7 per cent in 2015, the private tourism sector and the Dominican Republic government have each donated a respective $1 million to put towards the region’s further development. Meanwhile, Punta Cana continues to see a notable 20 per cent increase in tourism every year, according to new data from Expedia websites, and as such ranks as the most in-demand destination in the Caribbean, followed by San Juan, Puerto Rico.

This coming winter season, visitors to the country can expect lots by way of entertainment, including fashion shows, live music performances and even a world-renowned Cirque du Soleil show in Santo Domingo, while they stay at one of the many new hotels that have just opened or are scheduled to open in the coming weeks.

A few of those new properties include:

• Excellence El Carmen in Punta Cana, which opened on Sept. 1. This is the second hotel in the country for the Excellence Group;
• Real InterContinental Hotel in Santo Domingo, which had its soft opening on Sept. 1. This is also the second Real Hotels & Resorts location in the Dominican Republic;
• Luxury Bahia Principe Fantasia in Punta Cana, which is slated to open on Nov. 1. Bahia Principe already boasts several hotels in the Dominican, and this new addition will be part of the company’s luxury Don Pablo Collection.

What’s more, due to the rise in inbound adult visitors, the Dominican Republic is catering to the demographic with the addition of six new adults-only hotels – including Viva Wyndham V Samana, Riu Republic in Punta Cana, Luxury Bahia Principe Samana and Sanctuary Cap Cana by Al Sol in Punta Cana – as well as the addition of adults-only sections to four previously existing properties – Sunscape Puerto Plata Resorts & Spa, Emotions by Hodelpa, Club Med Punta Cana and Be Live Collection Punta Cana.

When it comes to cruising, it is expected that Santo Domingo will see over 100,000 cruise passengers in the upcoming season, and for those arriving by air, Air Transat just announced it is adding a weekly flight from Toronto to Santo Domingo starting on Dec. 18, 2016.

For more information, visit GoDominicanRepublic.com.