Dominican Republic tops forwardkeys’ list of best performing destinations in 2023

Dominican Republic also tops the list of best performing post-recovery destinations

The Dominican Republic tops the list of destinations globally with the best performance in 2023, according to the results of the “Global Travel Trends Report 2023,” prepared by ForwardKeys, a leading travel analytics firm.
The country tops the list with 14% more visitors than in 2019, received by air in 2023; it is followed by Colombia and Mexico, both with 5% more, followed by Greece (+3%) and Saudi Arabia (0%) with the same number of flight arrivals as in 2019.

The other places are topped by Portugal (-1%) in sixth place, followed by Argentina (-3%), United Arab Emirates (-7%), Turkey (-9%) and Egypt (-10%), according to the recovery of destinations based on international tourist arrivals. According to these data, the list of the top 10 destinations is nominated by countries located in the Caribbean.

The Dominican Republic also tops the list of the best performing post-recovery destinations. It is followed by Costa Rica and Aruba, both with 11% more in 2023 than 2019; Jamaica and Puerto Rico, both with 9% more; Colombia and Mexico, both with 5% more; Bahamas and Greece, both with 3% , and Saudi Arabia, stable, receiving the same number of flight arrivals as in 2019.

Punta Cana, located in the east of the country, ranks among the top 10 destinations in the Americas for international tourist arrivals, with a record growth of 22%, to occupy the first place in the world.

Other results

Travelers have developed a strong preference for ‘sun and beach’ destinations. However, the year 2023 has seen a notable change in the trend.

Urban destinations are becoming increasingly popular with tourists, with a 52% growth rate compared to 26% growth in ‘sun and beach’ destinations over the same period in 2022, the report states.

Other trends shown by the study is the appreciation of shared experiences, which is evident in the popularity of family groups, where three to five passengers travel together.

It says the recovery has been slower, couples travel is the second most resilient segment in all regions and is only slightly behind family group travel in APAC and the Americas.

Research

The report examines the emerging patterns of global tourism and evolving traveler behavior that are introducing changes to the industry. It categorizes and analyzes airline tickets issued through September 26, reflecting scheduled flight arrivals through that date and bookings through the end of the year.

The benchmark is 2019, the last normal international travel year before the pandemic decimated the industry. Globally, air traffic in 2023 is expected to end 25% behind the 2019 peak.