The strong demand from the United States outbound market is boosting tourism numbers to new records. David Llibre, president of the National Hotel & Tourism Association (Asonahores) expects the country to reach the 10 million tourist milestone this 2023.
He spoke of the month after month increase in air and cruise ship arrivals. Interviewed by Héctor Herrera Cabral in the program D’Agenda on Channel 11, Llibre said 7.9 million air arrivals are expected and another 2.1 million by sea.
He said the record numbers are because the private and public sectors are working side by side. He said now Asonahores representatives are part of the marketing committee of the Ministry of Tourism that decides where the government invests the promotional budget.
Regarding hotel occupancy in the country, the president of Asonahores said that the average is around 80%. He said Punta Cana has higher occupancy than Puerto Plata.
Llibre says Asonahores is focused on the airline sector because we are an island. The only way to grow tourism is to increase local airlines and add new routes. He said Asonahores strongly encourages increasing the offer of seats to lower ticket prices. Lower ticket prices stimulates air travel.
“That is the idea, to inject as many flights and seats to the destinations where we need them so the increase in offer helps to lower fares. Definitely, one of the challenges we have in the sector is the high price of air tickets to the Dominican Republic,” he said.
Llibre said that currently 50% of the tourists coming to the country, (four million visitors) enter through the Punta Cana International Airport. Flights to Gregorio Luperón Airport in Puerto Plata have declined because that region does not have the hotel rooms that there are in the East.
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El Nacional
4 July 2023