Above: Punta Cana (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Tourist arrivals to the Dominican Republic increased to just under 4.7 million people last year, an increase of 2.8 percent, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

The country was boosted by very strong growth out of the United States market, with an increase of 9 percent to 1.59 million visitors from the US.

Out of the Canadian market, however, tourism fell, with a 0.3 percent drop 684,017 tourists.

The country also saw a decrease out of Europe, with a reduction of 1.1 percent to around 1.13 million tourists.

Tourism from other regions was largely flat, with a 0.9 percent increase to 1.29 million visitors.

The Dominican Republic has announced a stated goal of attracting 10 million annual tourists by the year 2023.