Dominican Republic Turns Up the Charm in Toronto, Canadian Arrivals Jump 13%

The Dominican Republic is out to prove to Canadians that it is more than just affordable all-inclusive package beach holidays.

As the tag line on one of their colourful tourism campaigns touts, the Caribbean destination “Has It All”

A contingent of over thirty tourism companies, from hotels to airlines, led by the island nation’s Minister of Tourism David Collado, descended on Toronto’s Enercare Centre on Monday (Oct. 26) for The Dominican Republic Trade Show.

About 1,150 guests, including Canadian tour operators, travel agents and airline executives from Montreal, Toronto, Halifax and even cities in Alberta were treated to a day of networking with various resorts, learning to prepare Dominican cuisine and trying their hands at making traditional crafts.

“Canada is a very important market for the Dominican Republic,” said Jennifer Elias Franjul, international marketing director at the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, speaking to Travel Market Report Canada. “It’s our second-largest market in terms of tourists to the Dominican Republic.”

The Canadian Connection Runs Deep

This year alone has seen a 13 per cent increase in Canadian tourists to the D.R., totalling almost one million visitors.

She said the objective of the trade show is to showcase other growing segments in the country’s tourism industry, such as luxury and wellness vacations.

The Four Seasons will open their first location on the island next year in Miches, while the Ritz-Carlton will continue to expand their presence with more luxurious properties.

Miches, a coastal town located on the northeastern coast, is meanwhile  setting itself up as a sustainable luxury and ecotourism vacation destination, Franjul said.

Not as well known as some of the country’s other beach towns, Miches stretches with miles of beaches, mountains, a large water fall and frolicking sea turtles and humpback whales that visit every year. 

She noted Dominican will continue to attract the large groups for weddings and conferences but they are also reaching out to the sports tourists to explore their golf courses and the adventurer traveller who might want explore beyond beaches.

It should be of no surprise the Dominican Republic is ramping up their campaigning to lure more tourists to their sunny climes.

With travel bans on Cuba and snowbirds less inclined to visit Florida amid the U.S.-Canada tariff conflict, Canadians will be looking for holiday alternatives in the coming winter months.

For Canadians worried about the political unrest in neighbouring Haiti – the island of Hispaniola comprises of two nations, Dominican Republic and Haiti – Franjul reassured that the current turbulence Haiti is experiencing is contained in their country.

She also mentioned the D.R. has recently appointed a special police task force dedicated to help with tourist matters.

Arajet Soars to Success

But as the Dominican Republic continues to expand its tourism offerings, an unexpected trend is emerging: travellers are discovering that the country is also an affordable gateway to other Caribbean islands and major South American cities, including São Paulo and Santiago.

The nation’s low-cost carrier Arajet, which features four scheduled flights to Dominican Republic from Toronto and Montreal year-round, provides the opportunity for Canadians to connect to the more than 30 destinations served by the airline.

Arajet operates a fleet of Boeing 737 Max 8 and started serving the Canadian market three years ago.

Victor Pacheco, the airline’s founder and CEO, told Travel Market Report Canada: “Right now, twenty per cent of passengers flying from Canada are connecting to and from South America, mainly Argentina and Brazil.”

The idea behind Arajet was to use it to build a hub, he said. “And now, we are really seeing that with our Canadian passengers.”

In his speech on stage during the press conference, he sent a shout out to his Canadian passengers for a surge in demand: “Last month we grew fifty percent.”

Obviously, the love for Canadians and their tourists dollars was extolled throughout the day.

But is what is it exactly that makes Canadian great tourists?

As Franjul put it: “They have a big heart, love to celebrate, love to dance and they are very down-to-earth.”

Not unlike the people of the Dominican Republic.