Travel has been down in February and March after record setting months in 2023 and 2024. Analysts observe this is because the vacations that were not had in 2020, 2021 and 2022 were had in 2023 and 2024. Another reason cited is that this year, Easter Week happened in April, not March. Travel to the DR in February and March for the first time did not set new records.
The same is happening in the United States. Analysts in the United States are concerned of the impact of new restrictions, trade wars and war in general can have on the tourism industry. What happens in the United States is of concern to the US because of the close trade, tourism, remittances and foreign investment relationships.
Analysts are pointing to the uncertainties caused by the continuing wars and the disruptions in the economy delivered during the first months of the Trump administration, impacting both travel from the United States and Canada. The overall conclusion, nevertheless, is that US inbound travel is down, and US outbound travel continues strong.
The US has seen a drop in its inbound travel of 11.6% in March compared to 2024. The National Tour Association, American Bus Association and Student & Youth Travel Association released a study showing that international travel to the United States is down. The three associations surveyed their US members about inbound travel, and 51% of respondents reported that their business or destination has experienced a drop in business, bookings or visitation. A quarter of respondents reported no impact, and the rest said they were unsure or do not operate inbound travel.
Travel Weekly reports survey participants ranked “economic uncertainty/recession risk/consumer confidence” as the top concern, followed by “international relations/trade disputes” and “reduction in group travel demand” tying for second. Following that were concerns about “government regulations and policy changes,” then “fuel and operational costs” and finally “workforce shortages.”
The Travel Weekly survey was conducted from March 25 to April 9 and comes after reports of inbound travel dropping amid geopolitical tensions and federal policies impacting the industry, including tariffs and reports of European tourists being detained at US borders, leading to travel advisories from the UK, Canada, Germany and Ireland.
On the positive side for the Dominican Republic, CNBC reports that US outbound travel continues strong. CNBC writes that while international tourism to the US slumps, Americans can’t stop traveling overseas. “The families are part of an emerging trend in the US$11 trillion global travel industry: Americans are traveling abroad in droves, while the number of visitors to the United States is falling,” reports CNBC.
CNBC confirms the explanation the Dominican Ministry of Tourism gave of the drop of tourism in March. It explains Easter Week last year was in March, causing some vacations to shift this year. NBC says that however, US citizens flying abroad increased 1.6% from last March and are up 22% from 2019 to 6.56 million travelers.
The implication from the CNBC report is positive for the Dominican tourism industry. Dominican vacations can be a last-minute decision. The destination is just a short flight away and nonstop air connections from new cities and new airports are constantly being announced.
Moreover, demographics is on the side of the DR. The baby boomer generation has the time, the cash and is likely to continue traveling. It’s up to the DR to continue to offer good products and services to score in these challenging times.
The Dominican Republic is the leading tourism destination in the Caribbean and Central American region, with the flow of tourism to the country only second to Mexico in Latin America.
Read more:
Travel Weekly
NTA Online
Acento
CNBC
29 April 2025