Tourism, the great protagonist of the Dominican Republic’s economic growth in 2024 The Dominican tourism sector is consolidating itself as the country’s main economic engine, managing to close 2024 with record visitor arrivals, an expansion of its hotel plant, and a considerable improvement in average tourist spending. For economist Jaime Aristy Escuder, the growth exhibited by the DR economy in the just-ended year was leveraged mainly by the contributions of the tourism sector, an industry that remains unstoppable. “The activities of the tourism sector together with commerce, construction and local manufacturing contributed tangibly to the increase in Dominican GDP in 2024,” he said. He indicated that the growth mentioned above is in line with the estimates of the Central Bank, which indicate that the economy would register the highest growth rate in the entire region last year. He said that the Dominican economy will remain at a good pace in the future. Proof [...]

Cuba continues efforts to attract more tourists Up to October 2024, Cuba received 2,490,770 travelers according to official figures from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI). This figure is lower than the same period in 2023, giving way to worrying forecasts by several media outlets regarding the future of tourism in the country. The first ten months of 2024 saw 101,256 less people arrive than the number registered in the same period of the previous year. The number of international visitors dropped from 1,973,173 to 1,844,917, and from Canada, the main source of tourists to this Caribbean nation, from 748,977 to 727,261, according to an article published by Correo Canadiense. Of the source countries for vacationers to Cuba, only Russia and Mexico saw positive trends, with respective increases of 7 and 3.7 percent. In a recent communiqué, the Director of the Cuban Tourism Office in Toronto, Lessner Gómez, stressed [...]

Resonance Varadero: The perfect combination for vacations in Cuba With a unique concept in the Caribbean, Blue Diamond’s new brand in Cuba has launched: Resonance Hotels. The proposal offers guests two contrasting experiences in the same resort: relaxation and partying; representing the perfect combination for vacations in the Caribbean island. As part of this project, Blue Diamond presented Resonance Varadero (formerly Memories Varadero) in Cuba’s top sun and beach destination, after having previously presented the new jewel of the chain’s portfolio in Cayo Santa María. Resonance Varadero, an all-inclusive resort for guests over 18 years of age, is one of the four resorts in the country where this new concept will be offered, as the Santa Lucía and Marea del Portillo beaches, in the respective eastern territories of Camagüey and Granma, will also inaugurate such facilities. Representatives of travel agencies, tour operators and specialized press visited the resort this weekend and [...]