530K tourists arrive in the Dominican Republic, a 129% jump

• The Minister of Tourism, David Collado, revealed that in January 2022, 530,956 non-residents arrived in the country, 129% more than the previous year, of which 82% were of Dominican origin. Despite the cancellation of flights from the United States to the Dominican Republic due to snowstorms that affected the US East Coast, non-resident arrivals remained above half a million tourists. 
• Collado explained that these indicators show that the country continues to lead the arrival of tourists in the Caribbean; however, the outbreak of the omicron variant and the subsequent tightening of mobility restrictions resulted in fewer Canadian visitors for the country. Non-resident visitors from the rest of the world, excluding the United States and Canada, registered an all-time high of 245,301. 
• Amidst the pandemic, this significant tourism growth may lead to major gains in tourism sector earnings and economic growth by enhancing employment opportunities and fiscal revenues. In terms of employment, this should improve in local communities supporting growth in disposable incomes and socio-economic conditions, which could lead to an improved standard of living.

 (Source: Dominican Today)