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It is easy to forget about the coronavirus on the sandy beaches of the Dominican Republic. Peter, a German tourist who has turned a deep shade of pink over his two-week holiday, is fully vaccinated and only sorry today is the last of his trip. “This is paradise. It feels like there is no pandemic here,” he said. For the health-conscious who nonetheless want to travel, the pull of a vacation largely spent outdoors on a beach is strong, especially when everyone you are likely to meet has already been inoculated.
The Dominican Republic is leading the recovery of tourism in the Caribbean, driven by strong demand from US travelers. Almost 60% of Americans are fully vaccinated, and one of the effects is a stampede to go abroad and make up for lost time. By the end of May, the Dominican Republic saw a 10% increase in travelers booking to arrive in July than for the same dates in 2019, before the pandemic upended all travel.
There is pent-up demand that is now emerging. We expect the same to happen in other tourist destinations such as Spain
Alejandro Reynal, CEO of Apple Leisure Group
The Caribbean nation is a beacon of hope for places like Spain and Greece in Europe, which rely strongly on tourism but are still waiting for vaccination campaigns on the continent to yield results for the sector. The concern now is whether this will happen in time to save the summer 2021 season, following the disaster…
