The Dominican Republic has done it again. At the 2026 Travvy Awards in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the country picked up the gold medal for Best Caribbean Destination — its third consecutive year winning the category. The awards were handed out during CruiseWorld at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, and what makes them meaningful is who votes: travel advisors, the people who actually book Caribbean holidays for a living.

The gold wasn't the only trophy. The country also landed silver in two other Caribbean categories — Best Culinary Destination and Best Tourism Board — a nod to both its food scene and the marketing machine promoting it. Raquel Reyes, who runs the Dominican Republic's tourism promotion office in Orlando, attributed the wins to the confidence of travel advisors and coordinated work between the public and private sectors.

So what is being rewarded, exactly? The country's pitch runs under the banner 'Feel DR: The Land That Has It All', and the list is genuinely broad: beaches, cultural heritage, gastronomy, nature, luxury resorts, adventure travel, golf, romance and wellness. Unlike some single-note Caribbean destinations, the DR can plausibly cover a honeymoon in Punta Cana, a hiking trip in the mountains of the interior, and a city break in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo — the oldest European city in the Americas — within one trip.

The Travvy Awards, presented by TravelPulse (part of Northstar Travel Group), are one of the industry's more telling barometers, because they reflect what agents are actually recommending rather than a jury's opinion. Three straight golds suggests the Dominican Republic isn't a fluke or a post-pandemic rebound story; it has consolidated itself as the default answer many agents now give when a client says 'Caribbean'.

For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: the DR's tourism infrastructure has scaled up to match the hype. Direct flights from the US and Europe serve Punta Cana, Santo Domingo and other gateways, the resort and villa market spans every budget tier, and the food recognition is well earned — from roadside yaniqueques to high-end restaurants in Santo Domingo. If you've been defaulting to Mexico, Jamaica or the smaller islands, a three-time award winner is at least worth comparing prices against.