Puerto Rico.- In a significant effort to bolster tourism collaboration between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, Dominican Tourism Minister David Collado led a series of meetings at the 2024 Caribbean Tourism Exchange (CTE) with over 130 tour operators and travel agents in San Juan. The visit underscores the importance of the Puerto Rican market, which has seen substantial growth for Dominican tourism in recent years.
Collado highlighted Puerto Rico’s crucial role, noting that the Dominican Republic welcomed 114,068 Puerto Rican tourists in 2019. By 2023, this number surged to 199,625, marking a 75% increase. As of July 2024, 163,110 Puerto Rican tourists had already visited, with projections suggesting over 220,000 by the year’s end. This growth reflects the success of targeted promotional strategies and the strengthening of the Dominican tourism offer.
The meetings at the CTE aimed to deepen the relationship between the two countries, explore new collaboration opportunities, and enhance the Dominican Republic’s appeal as a preferred destination for Puerto Ricans. Collado also announced increased air service between the two islands with new SkyHigh routes launching in October, further facilitating growth in the tourism sector.