Caribbean tourists staying closer to home, report says

Expedia, one of the world’s largest online travel agencies, estimates a 50 percent increase in intra-Caribbean travel during the first nine months of this year compared with the same period in 2013.

The Dominican Republic, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago are the top five Caribbean destinations for tourists from the region, according to data Expedia uses to make bookings, online magazine News is my Business reported Thursday.

“We’re thrilled that the Caribbean continues to report overall growth as our goal in the region is to support our hotel partners by exceeding their commercial objectives,” Demetrius Canton, Expedia group’s director of lodging partner services for the Caribbean, said.

The growth “can be attributed to a range of factors including new connectivity as well as hoteliers who are generating demand via Expedia’s latest technologies, powerful marketing platforms and valuable market intelligence,” he said.

The Dominican Republican reports more than 70 percent growth in the number of tourists from other Caribbean countries, followed by Barbados, 60 percent; Cayman Islands, 50 percent; Puerto Rico, with nearly 50 percent; and Trinidad and Tobago, with an increase of more than 40 percent. EFE