Dominican Republic out to prove it's more than Punta Cana

Tourism is booming in the Dominican Republic in 2023. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the island has seen nearly 5.4 million arrivals from January to June, a 31% jump from the same period a year ago and just 1 million visitors shy of the record for annual visitors set in 2019. Visitors from the U.S. counted for more than half of all visits so far this year.

Punta Cana remains the dominant destination, serving as the primary getaway spot for nearly 70% of visitors. But the island is making headway opening other regions to tourists. The city of Pedernales, in the southwest area of the country near the border with Haiti, will be home to the first cruise port in the region when Cabo Rojo opens in December. In the northeast region of the island, the Samana Bayport is slated to open in November.

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The opening of those ports will no doubt aid efforts to direct tourists away from Punta Cana. But those efforts aren’t limited to oceanfront regions: Officials are working to make the cultural center of Santiago de los Caballeros, founded in 1495, a tourist destination in the province of El Cibao.

Santiago, as it’s known locally, is an hour from the beach town of Puerto Plata and a four-hour drive from Punta Cana. It’s the second-largest city on the island, with a population of 1.2 million.

Last month, the Ministry of Tourism, along with the Santiago business sector, agreed to invest just over $7 million to create a board to elevate its international tourism standing; improve the area around the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration, one of the main tourist attractions in the city; and promote and support cultural activities. Scheduled to open next year is the $130 million Santiago Center, an upscale, mixed-use development that will feature restaurants, stores and the Hotel Santiago, Curio Collection by Hilton, which will have 177 rooms.

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