TORONTO – There’ve been countless reports and news articles about the weak Canadian dollar and how it’s largely affected travel in 2015-2016. But according to RIU Hotels & Resorts and its exclusive tour operator partner Signature Vacations, Canadians are still travelling despite the economy simply because there’s more product to be excited about.

Case in point, the brand new, adults-only Riu Republica in Punta Cana, which opened its doors for the first time on June 4. According to Oliver Kluth, Senior Vice President of Sales & Business Development, RIU Hotels & Resorts, who was recently in Toronto, the grand opening couldn’t have gone any better.

“Guests are raving about the Republica,” he said, noting that the resort will be fully booked this weekend for the first time. “Typically, adults-only properties have been associated with being top-dollar and up-market. The Riu Republica has all the amenities and facilities of the RIU Class Hotels but with the exclusive service of our RIU Palace Hotels. I think we’ve tapped into a new niche market of guests who want the luxury but not pay top dollar for it.”

Offering 1,007 rooms, the new five-star resort is the company’s biggest – along with the Hotel Riu Santa Fe – and is the first adults-only property in its portfolio. But that’s not all Kluth is excited about; RIU Hotels & Resorts is currently enjoying an expansion boom in key markets around the world. Last year, the company opened its first property in Mauritius, Hotel Riu Creole, and made its New York City debut this past March with the 647-room Riu Plaza New York Times Square.

“Our city hotels operate differently than beach resorts, but we’re finding that it’s mostly leisure travellers that are booking New York,” added Kluth. “It took us 10 years to find the perfect location in the heart of Times Square – you can’t beat our location.”

Looking ahead, RIU will open the five-star Riu Reggae in Montego Bay, Jamaica in November, and has just bought two private islands in the Maldives that will be transformed into two luxury hotels by 2018. Plus, plans to expand in the Middle East are currently underway, with RIU’s first resort in Dubai scheduled to open in late 2018. According to Kluth, the 750-room resort will be considered a trailblazer in the region, as it will be Dubai’s first-ever 24-hour, all-inclusive property.

“It’s a new market for us and of course we’re going to have to be flexible and certain concessions will have to be made,” he said, noting how the company often adapts buffet offerings to accommodate regional cuisine and guest preferences. “But our Dubai guests will find the company’s same standards. We’re always going to maintain the same level of excellence in all our properties.”

All this in the pipeline is certainly enough to pique travellers’ interests, especially younger couples who Kluth says has been the main demographic thus far at Riu Republica. And according to Kim Banjac, Communications Specialist for Signature Vacations, the younger set is branching out from traditional cheap and easy getaways.

“There’s been a shift in the industry where 20- and 30-year-olds are moving away from cheap vacations to more luxury options,” she said. “This is why the Riu Republica is so popular – it offers so many things in an all-inclusive package but at affordable rates. Guests are getting more for less.”

To entice clients even further, Signature Vacations is offering Zero Deposit and Price Drop Guarantee offers, both of which are available across all of Signature’s exclusive Collections.

For more information go to signaturevacations.com.