Expedia names Dominican Republic 2014 Leader in Caribbean Travel Demand

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, April 23, 2015.– The Expedia group, one of the world’s largest online travel companies, reported today a banner year for the Dominican Republic in 2014 with a 45 percent increase in travel demand year over year. Furthermore, Punta Cana was the top producing market in 2014 in the Caribbean region with a travel demand growth of more than 50 percent, while the country’s capital city of Santo Domingo was among the top ten producing markets in the Caribbean for 2014.

“With robust flight inventory, a strong hospitality foundation and sunny year-round weather, the Dominican Republic has consistently led travel demand and been recognized as a popular Caribbean destination for travelers from major markets including the United States, United Kingdom and Canada,” said Demetrius Canton, Director of Lodging Partner Services for the Caribbean, Expedia group.

The Expedia group’s market management team is attending the Dominican Annual Tourist Exchange (DATE), from April 28-30, 2015 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The Expedia group will be hosting a press conference on April 29th at 10:30 a.m. at the “Santo Domingo” room of the Barcelo Bavaro Convention Center where Demetrius Canton will be sharing market data, company announcements and product launches. Throughout the conference the team will liaise with valued travel partners to discuss the successes in the region and provide counsel on increasing visibility and incremental demand using Expedia group’s powerful technology and marketing tools.

A further testament to the company’s commitment to the Dominican Republic, Expedia group recently expanded its presence in the country by opening the first local offices in Punta Cana and Santo Domingo in early 2015. Staffed with an expert team of market managers, the local offices provide an opportunity for Expedia to further enhance the company’s ability to effectively serve partners and support the continued growth of the destination.

“Through our new local offices, Expedia can better understand the objectives of our valued hotel partners on a local level in order to develop a strategic and effective plan for them,” said Miriam Hernandez, Area Manager for the Caribbean, the Expedia group. “While demand continues to grow for both the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean region, competition among hoteliers will also increase. Expedia is keen on providing partners the ability to stand out and ultimately generate revenue and exposure to new relevant audiences.”

The Expedia group is also pleased to announce an increase of more than 60 percent in total demand generated to the Dominican Republic via mobile devices in 2014 when compared to the previous year. Expedia group’s mobile applications were designed to allow travelers to plan their trips and book in a convenient, flexible way. Expedia group consistently provides expert advice to hotel partners on how to take advantage of mobile platforms and participate on exclusive mobile promotions, flash sales and more, creating opportunities for both the consumer and the hotelier.

Expedia seeks to continue to add more properties to its portfolio in 2015, with 150 new partners contracted in 2014 alone, to support tourism growth in the Dominican Republic and the region. By working with the Expedia group, hotels in the Dominican Republic gain exposure to the more than 150 websites in more than 70 countries worldwide, in addition to a myriad of mobile sites and apps, from brands such as Expedia.com®, Hotels.com®, Hotwire®, Egencia®, Travelocity®, Expedia Affiliate Network® and Venere®.