November 27. In a year when post-pandemic travel seemed dominated by demand for Europe and other long-haul destinations, the Caribbean emerged as a leader in tourism growth and demand.
«We’ve had two consecutive years of record growth in the Caribbean in 2022 and 2023, from both a revenue standpoint and a traveler standpoint,» said Jack Richards, CEO of Pleasant Holidays.
Richards projected that the Caribbean will outpace Hawaii next year to become Pleasant’s No. 1 destination for the first time. That’s due in large part to the sharp, double-digit decline in Hawaii demand since the August wildfires on Maui, but it’s also a testament to the Caribbean’s strength.
Two of the region’s most popular destinations have said that this year may prove to be their best yet.
The Dominican Republic expects to welcome a record number of tourists in 2023, tourism officials said in October.
Growth this year is at its highest since the pandemic, up 35% over 2019, and the country expects to welcome 10 million visitors by end of year. The country was helped by cruising’s triple-digit rebound, bringing in 1.7 million arrivals between January and September.
Source: Travel Weekly
