This Caribbean hotspot has double the tourist growth compared to Cancun

The Dominican Republic just broke an all-time record with more than 4 million arrivals in the first four months of the year. As the trend If this continues, the country could follow in the footsteps of Cancun, Mexico.

According to Tourism Minister David Collado, the country is on track to surpass the 11 million tourist mark by 2024. A number never seen before.

From January to April the island received 3,039,302 air travelers, 10% more compared to the same period in 2023, and 1,139,381 cruise passengers, 15% more compared to last year.

In April alone, the destination had more than 700,000 stopovers, an increase of 3 percent compared to 2023.

“If we combine all these figures, we have 4,178,683 visitors in the first four months of the year, which is another record,” Colado said.

Most travelers come from the United States (53%), Canada (18%) and Colombia (3%).

Mexico, for its part, was welcome 3.6 million tourists in January alone124,000 more than in 2023, a growth of 3.6 percent, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).

Cancun, the city that enchants international travelers with its sugar-sand beaches and beautiful sunsets, stands out as the country’s most preferred destination.

The city was welcome from January to April 8.21 million passengers, according to data presented by Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR).

This number represents an increase of 6 percent compared to the same period last year.

In 2023 alone, 32.7 million vacationers passed through customs at Cancun International Airport; 63 percent of them were international visitors.

Does the annual invasion of sargassum seaweed play a role?

While Cancun’s tourism numbers may look more promising, the huge problem Mexico has with sargassum could be a game changer.

Following the discovery of 7,400 tons of sargassum floating en route to Quintana Roo, hundreds of tons of seaweed will arrive on Cancun beaches in the coming weeks, according to the latest report from the state’s Sargassum Monitoring Network (RDMS).

The Navy Secretariat even had to raise its sargassum alert for Cancun from level 2 to level 3 on May 11.

The Dominican Republic, on the other hand, does not appear to be as affected.

“Punta Cana Sargassum seaweed”, a Facebook group where beachgoers share their experiences with algae, has been reporting clean or almost clean beaches for weeks.

Of course, sargassum washes up on the beaches of the Dominican Republic, but the quantities are so small that authorities and hoteliers can easily remove it from the sand.

For example, the popular beaches of Riu República, Catalonia Bavaro Beach, Golf & Casino Resort and the Arena Blanca Punta Cana hotel are as pristine as usual.