Durrant Pate/Contributor

The Dominican Republic (DomRep) is now profiting from the fallout in Jamaica’s tourism as a result of Hurricane Melissa, which did extensive damage to the island’s tourism infrastructure over a month ago.

DomRep has received a massive 800 extra flights to scoop up travellers who are cancelling their Jamaican vacation and rerouting their winter sun trips with the resort town of Punta Cana on the eastern tip, known for its all-inclusive resorts, white-sand beaches, and turquoise waters, benefitting the most from Jamaica’s tourism fall-out. President of the country’s Civil Aviation Board, Héctor Porcella, reportedly confirmed that the body authorised 800 flights “in one fell swoop” because the flocks of tourists that were headed to Jamaica are now being redirected to DomRep, as the Category 5 storm brought extreme flooding, major infrastructure damage, and billions of dollars in losses to the Caribbean island.

Those 800 flights, a mix of scheduled and charter services, will be spread over roughly eight months—but the crunch point is the winter high season (Christmas through New Year’s and into early January). Tourism blog, traveloffpath.com, is reporting that DomRep just turned into the main safety valve for a disrupted Caribbean winter, which has seen a number of islands being impacted by Melissa, suffering damage to their tourism infrastructure, thereby affecting their planned winter tourist season, which is a peak period in the region.

As tourists are fleeing Jamaica because of the damage caused by Melissa, DomRep has been positioning to take advantage with its popular tourist destinations offering reasonably priced accommodations and activities like zip-lining, water sports, golf, and exploring natural attractions like cenotes and ecological parks. As for Jamaica’s tourism, recovery has been slower than many hoped, with several hotels and resorts on the island’s north and west coasts announcing that they are expecting to be fully open by mid- to late-2026.

In addition, Jamaica has officially declared an outbreak of leptospirosis, a bacterial disease linked to contaminated floodwater, with confirmed cases and multiple deaths since the storm, while health officials are warning travellers to be cautious around standing water and to follow strict hygiene and food-safety measures if they go. In contrast, DomRep hotel officials are projecting more than 95% occupancy over the key holiday weeks, with busier airports, with Punta Cana International (PUJ), projected to be packed in the weeks to come, with some of this extra lift being funnelled into Santo Domingo (SDQ) and Puerto Plata (POP).

With flood of visitors to descent upon DomRep, traveloffpath.com is advising that visitors:

• Lock in transfers now: With occupancy pushing 95%, private transfers, rental cars, and popular excursions can sell out long before you land.
• Confirm flights: Extra flights mean schedule changes. Keep an eye on your booking and app notifications so you’re not surprised by a time shift.
• Shift your dates if you can: Travelling in mid-January or early February instead of New Year’s week can save serious money and sanity, a strategy we’ve recommended before for Caribbean winter escapes.