Central Bank January-August statistics seem to prove the Dominican Republic is a family and couples destination. The statistics dispute in numbers that the Dominican Republic is a major sex destination, as many times claimed.
Statistics show that from January to August 2004, some 1,065,856 foreign men traveled to the DR, and 1,009,499 foreign women. Nevertheless, the same statistical breakdown shows that travelers coming for business were 41,324 (a predominantly male group) and 8,533 for conferences (another predominantly male group).
Moreover, the gap in foreign male and female travelers is most pronounced in travel to the major cities, Santo Domingo and Santiago. For instance, travel to Las Americas International (Santo Domingo) was 250,969 foreign men and foreign 176,231 women for the January-August 2004 period. Likewise, travel to Santiago was 36,025 men and 33,933 women.
But travel to Puerto Plata was more evened out, with 210,928 foreign men and foreign 209,779 women. More women then men traveled to the leading Dominican tourist destination, Punta Cana, where foreign 489,529 men and 508,231 foreign women arrived. Equally, La Romana, another leading Dominican destination, received more women than men travelers, or 81,325 women compared to 78,405 men. The more women then men could be interpreted as travelers see these destinations as especially safe destinations for women traveling with women friends. For the complete statistical breakdown, see http://www.bancentral.gov.do