Friday, March 29, 2024

New Study Shows Tourism Drops in Dominican Republic By More Than 74%

Pool and bar with coconut palm trees in Puerto Plata Dominican Republic
Pool and bar with coconut palm trees in Puerto Plata Dominican Republic. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

*Tourism to the Dominican Republic has reportedly taken a massive hit amid the multiple high-profile cases involving American tourists dying or being seriously injured while staying in the country. According to several published reports, 9 U.S. tourists have died in the embattled Caribbean nation this year.

via New York Daily News:

Trips booked to the island dropped by 74.3% for the months of July and August compared to the same period last year, according to a study from ForwardKeys, which analyzes more than 17 million daily bookings.

The number of trips canceled to the country also increased by 51.2% between June 1 and June 19.
The cancellations spiked by 70% on June 10, the day that 53-year-old Leyla Cox died of an alleged heart attack at a Punta Cana resort.

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“My deepest sympathies go out to the families of the American tourists who have passed away,” said Olivier Ponti, VP insights of ForwardKeys. “Their recent and tragic deaths appear to have had a dramatic impact on travel to the Dominican Republic. Our analysis of leisure travel shows a striking correlation.”

As tourism to the Dominican Republic plummets, other hot island destinations are seeing a boost in visitors, including Jamaica, the Bahamas and Aruba, according to the study.

As we previously reported, Steve Harvey’s third-annual Sand and Soul Festival was set to take place this fall at a Dominican Republic resort where at least 2 U.S. tourists have died in the last year. But according to INSIDER, the event is being relocated amid concerns over the safety of tourists in the country. 

The event was set to be held from October 10 to October 14 at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Punta Cana. As reported by Business Insider, David Harrison, 45, of Maryland died at after falling ill while he was vacationing at resort last July. In April, Robert Bell Wallace, 67, of California, died at the same resort after he became ill from consuming a drink from his hotel room minibar.

Sand & Soul Executive Producer Morgan Hawthorne sent an email to ticket buyers noting that the festival is still finalizing the details on a new location.

 

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