by Jim Byers
Last updated: 6:51 PM ET, Tue December 19, 2017
Visits to the Dominican Republic are up substantially in the first ten months of 2017, and they're making room for even more visitors with more than a dozen new hotels on the way.
International visits to the Dominican were up 4.5 per cent from January to October, tourism officials said, thanks in part to additional flights from the U.S. and Europe. Total international visits reached 4.5 million.
Expedia also is reporting that the number of reservations for Puerto Plata grew roughly 10 per cent in the first six months of 2017.
The Ministry of Tourism has approved 42 new projects for the island nation, a hugely popular one with Canadians, including 14 new hotels. Most of them are in the Punta Cana region. But Iberostar plans to open new hotels in Santo Domingo and also in Bavaro, adding to the 3,000 rooms Iberostaralready has in the DR.
The Karisma chain is planning three new hotels in Punta Cana and also will be expanding the Nickelodeon Hotel Punta Cana.
"With new developments, consistent flow of incoming tourists, and exciting upcoming projects, the Dominican Republic is ending 2017 strong and preparing for a promising new year."
The Dominican Republic also has introduce a new concierge app for travel planning. The app will include corporate offers, entertainment and lodging, as well as helping with different tourist activities throughout the country.
The DR was chosen by The World Golf Organization as the "Best Golf Destination of the Caribbean 2017." It's the fourth year in a row the Dominican Republic has won the award.
The nation is home to several stunning golf courses, including Teeth of the Dog and Punta Espada in Cap Cana, a lovely, oceanside layout I got to play several years ago.
Most visitors to the DR head to Cap Cana, Puerto Plata and Santo Dominigo, the lovely capital. I visited last year and had a great stay at the Gansevoort Dominican Republic Playa Imbert, in the Sosua region. I loved the beach and the food was out of this world good.
I also enjoyed the Luxury Bahia Principe Samana, where they have a very nice spa and a lovely, tropical setting.
Two of the highlights of my trip were exploring the Damajaquq Waterfalls on the north coast of the island and spending a day at the truly spectacular Playa Rincon, a magnificent beach in Samana. Not only is the beach fantastic, but there's a freshwater stream with cool, clear water and a couple of casual dining spots where you can get a great meal for about $15 Cdn.
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