Puerto Rico, Punta Cana ‘Trending’ as Top Caribbean Destinations

Although Puerto Rico tourism remains officially closed to the foreign market, Expedia Group affirmed that international travel searches for the Caribbean on its websites registered positive growth for the month of July, which was mainly driven by Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

According to the company, international searches for the Caribbean were concentrated in August and represented 65 percent of the total searches for travel during the months of August, September and October. Puerto Rico accounted for an estimated 35 percent of searches, while the Dominican Republic, and specifically Punta Cana, registered 30 percent.

Expedia Group noted that travelers from the United States and Canada led the search for Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, with 80 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

“Despite the decrease in travel observed in recent months due to the coronavirus health emergency, Caribbean destinations showed resilience. Travelers from the United States and Canada are emerging as relevant markets for the recovery of the region, “said the company in a statement.

Expedia Group’s travel platforms include Expedia, Hotels.com, HomeAway, Orbitz and Travelocity.

The Dominican Republic officially reopened its borders to international travelers on July 1, and – according to information from Expedia Group – the destination has not lost popularity among international travelers. According to the July searches, Punta Cana was among the most requested Caribbean destinations with 35 percent. In fact, the country has been the top Caribbean destination for many years and competes directly with Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico was supposed to receive tourists from abroad as of July 15, but after an increase in coronavirus infections, reopening tourism from foreign destinations was postponed, with no clear date yet. Still, Expedia Group reported high search activity for travel to San Juan, which translated into 15 percent of the July total.

A third Caribbean destination that is receiving a lot of attention is Jamaica, and specifically Montego Bay, which has seen a 15 percent increase for travel searches in July.

All three destinations, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, currently require travelers to present a negative COVID-19 test taken before departure.

Expedia Group also said that “the pandemic generated the rapid adoption of digitization and the increase in electronic commerce,” as consumer behavior has shifted online. Mobile searches on Expedia Group websites and apps increased by 10 percent in the last 12 weeks, from 55 percent to 65 percent, showing that the popularity of searching and booking travel via mobile devices will continue.

“This represents an opportunity for small or independent hoteliers to take advantage of the online experience and travel platform as an effective way to capture such demand if they do not have the resources to create their own mobile channels,” said Expedia Group.

“We are still learning the true COVID-19 impact on travel industry. For Expedia Group it was to listen to our travel partners and to build out solutions to address their needs responded. We saw the true meaning of partnership coming through, particularly at the beginning of the pandemic, when we realized the need to support both travelers and our lodging partners”, said Freddy Dominguez, Vice President Market Management Latin America for Expedia Group.

The Dominican Republic’s New Tourism Recovery Plan

With an expected increase in tourists over the next few months, the Dominican Republic has launched a new Tourism Recovery plan, which includes conducting rapid COVID-19 tests on randomly selected travelers, beginning in September. Thereafter, the required negative COVID-19 test taken before departure will be dropped.

The country is known for its “all inclusive” resorts and the new plan includes hotel employees staying on hotel grounds as long as possible to create a “sanitary bubble” for visitors and workers alike.

“Our goal is to minimize the effects of the pandemic and facilitate a responsible recovery that prioritizes health, maximizes the potential for job creation and economic growth, and promotes the continuing sustainable development of the sector,” said Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader Corona.

– Reporter Christian G. Ramos Segarra contributed to this story.