WestJet adds five Caribbean routes: what about Dominican Republic?
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WestJet has rolled out its winter 2026-2027 schedule with five new non-stop international routes. The Canadian airline is strengthening its network from Calgary to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, as reported by Suelo Caribe.
One highlight is the Calgary-Mérida flight, the only direct connection between western Canada and that Mexican city. The other four routes cover various regional destinations, but Dominican Republic is not on the list. That stings: while the Caribbean expands its connectivity with western Canada, airports like Punta CanaPunta CanaThe main tourism hub of the Dominican Republic, on the eastern tip, famous for white-sand beaches, all-inclusive resorts and its own international airport., La Romana or SamanáSamanáA north-eastern peninsula known for humpback whale watching, unspoiled beaches like Rincón and waterfalls such as El Limón. are left out of this expansion.
Don’t read this as a crisis. It’s a wake-up call for MITUR and hoteliers: Canada is a high-spending outbound market, and if we are not in WestJet’s plan, we need to go out and negotiate. Regional competition is stepping up, and we must row. Dominican tourism has what it takes, but connectivity is won through active management.
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The daily brief
Hotels, airlines, MITUR, cruises and destinations. One sharp email a day. Free.
The brief Dominican travel professionals read every morning.