Due to double-digit growth in 2015, Delta Vacations is offering expanded offerings in the Dominican Republic, including new hotels and flights for 2016. Punta Cana, a popular tourist destination located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, experienced the largest rate of increase with room demands up 50 percent from what they were the previous year. Delta Vacations also observed an increase in demand for rooms in the town of Samana and the city of La Romana.
Such evidence of Delta Vacations’ growth within the country can be seen in its expansion into Puerto Plata. In addition to servicing flights to the city through Cibao International Airport (STI), Delta Vacations has established relationships with major hotels in the area—AMResorts, Iberostar, Costa Dorada, Sunscape Puerto Plata, Riu Bachata and Riu Merengue—and plans to add more properties to its Puerto Plata portfolio in the future. Additionally, Delta Vacations has added ten new properties to its Punta Cana portfolio, including two new properties in the capital city—JW Marriott Hotel Santo Domingo and the Sheraton Santo Domingo—and the Luxury Bahia Principe Don Pablo Collection in the Samana peninsula.
According to a press release statement, Magaly Toribio, marketing advisor for the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), stated that the MITUR’s goal is to reach 10 million annual visitors to the country by 2023. This year’s numbers from the first quarter of 2016 are looking to surpass last year’s arrivals with the Dominican Republic’s tourism numbers tracking at a median growth of 5.1 percent over the last five years. For more information, visit godominicanrepublic.com.
