Dominican Republic sees 8% visitor surge in first five months

The Dominican Republic's tourism sector is experiencing robust growth, with visitor numbers climbing 8% in the first five months of the year to reach 5.64 million. Minister of Tourism David Collado reported that air arrivals saw a significant 10.8% increase, totaling 4.15 million, while the cruise ship sector also contributed substantially with 1.49 million arrivals.

Punta Cana International Airport remains the primary gateway, receiving 66% of all air arrivals, followed by Las Américas in the capital with 19%. The Cibao airport accounted for 10%, and Puerto Plata for 5%. May alone saw 744,045 air arrivals, a 10.4% jump from the previous year, with cruise ship arrivals reaching 139,881.

Tourists primarily hail from the United States (41%) and Canada (21%), with Argentina, Colombia, France, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Chile, and Peru also contributing. Hotel occupancy rates exceeded 79% from January to April, and tourist satisfaction scores averaged 4.5 out of 5. A remarkable 93% of visitors expressed intent to return, and 60% would recommend the destination.

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The Dominican Republic received from the beginning of this year until May 5,641,659 visitors, 8% more than in the same period of 2025.