Over the first eight months of the year, a total of 3,261,177 tourists have visited the DR. This is 7.25% more than over the same period last year, or 220,526 more foreign travelers. Adding in non-resident Dominicans who have visited this summer, the percentage of non-resident travel to the Dominican Republic in August is up by 7.69% compared to last year. <\/p>\n
The Central Bank Statistics Department attributes the growth in travel to successful promotion by the Ministry of Tourism and the private sector. <\/p>\n
Interestingly, resident travel is also up, a lesser 3.58%, nevertheless. A total of 11,230 passengers traveled abroad, says the Central Bank. <\/p>\n
So far this year, travel to the Dominican Republic is up 6.91%, with 3,586,173 using local airports, or 231,756 more than during the same period last year. <\/p>\n
2012 is expected to be a record year for travel to the Dominican Republic. <\/p>\n
The DR’s main source markets are the United States and Canada that together contribute 57.92% of all travelers to the country. Countries showing increases in number of arrivals so far this year are the United States (134,532+), Russia (31,310+), Canada (25,004+), Venezuela (13,784+), France (7,405+), Brazil (7,013+), Argentina (6,239+) and Chile (5,338+). <\/p>\n
Over the first eight months of the year, the airport most used by arrivals was Punta Cana International with 1,743,630 arrivals, or 61.53% of all foreigners, including 144,780 additional arrivals this year. Las Americas International (Santo Domingo) received 571,311 arrivals, 20.16% of all arrivals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Over the first eight months of the year, a total of 3,261,177 tourists have visited the DR. This is 7.25% more than over the same period last year, or 220,526 more foreign travelers. Adding in non-resident Dominicans who have visited this summer, the percentage of non-resident travel to the Dominican Republic in August is up … <\/p>\n