77% of tourists are more concerned about the experience of their trip than what it costs

Santo Domingo – According to a global travel trends report by American Express Travel, 77% of tourists think more about their experience than what they will spend during their stay. 84% plan to spend more or the same on travel in 2024 compared to last year.

The report also highlights that 78% of travelers want to undertake more spontaneous than planned trips.

These trends are reflected in Dominican tourism, with tourists looking to have more experiences outside of hotels and be closer to the communities in which they will be, said Jacqueline Mora, the technical deputy minister of the Ministry of Tourism.

“What this is telling us is that tourists are (increasingly) looking at the destination,” she said during the Asonahores Tourism Investment Forum 2024, organized by the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic.

In this context, public-private investment plays a stellar role in providing safe and resilient tourism infrastructures that contribute to better and better tourist experiences.

What Europeans are concerned about

Europe is one of the main source markets for tourists to the Dominican Republic. Still, the economic crisis it is experiencing after the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine has caused them to restrict their trips increasingly.

Mora said that European tourists consider the increase in travel costs, personal finances, and how meteorological phenomena affect destinations before leaving their country.

27% of Europeans have a travel budget of 501 euros to 1,000 euros per person, and only 13% have more than 2,500 euros.

“Today they are looking for less crowded destinations, with lower travel costs, accessible infrastructure, cultural heritage and better transportation routes,” he said.

Shorter stay of Latin Americans

To compensate for this, the country has focused on attracting more tourists from destinations such as Central and South America. Although this is strategic, a Latin American tourist visits the destination for fewer days due to its proximity compared to a European one.

“The European visit lasts eleven days; the Latin American visit lasts four. I need twice as many Latin Americans to mitigate what is happening with Europe, and that is also a great challenge,” acknowledged the official, who considers that the advantage of the Dominican Republic is how much air connectivity with Central and South America has grown.