The tourism diversification policy, with an emphasis on South America, has borne fruit, offsetting the decline in visitors from traditional markets such as the United States and Canada, from which fewer travelers arrived in the first four months of the year.
In the first four months of 2025, 434,352 tourists traveled to the Dominican Republic from South America, a region increasingly drawn to the country as a travel destination due to an increased supply of direct flights and the government’s international promotion strategy.
This resulted in 103,561 more South Americans than in the first four months of 2024, benefiting the service industry—a period during which 330,791 South Americans set foot on Dominican soil, representing a 31.3% growth. This dynamism offset the 88,251 fewer tourists who arrived from the United States and Canada due to seasonal factors, such as the leap year and the variation in the commemoration of Holy Week, which was celebrated in March 2025, as explained by the Ministry of Tourism.
Indeed, the arrival of foreign residents in the Dominican Republic from the United States was 1,122,849 in January-April, a 5.12% drop compared to the 1,183,537 tourists the country received in the same period in 2024.
Similarly, only 593,922 Canadians entered the country by air during that period, representing a 4.43% decrease compared to the 621,485 recorded between January and April of the previous year.
Even so, these two countries maintain their leadership as the primary source of tourists to Quisqueya, sending 1,716,771 passengers by air in the first four months of 2025.
The most dynamic markets
Of the total number of South Americans who chose the Dominican Republic as a destination between January and April of this year, Argentines were the most motivated to travel: 163,266 entered the country by air, almost double the 82,289 tourists registered during the same period last year.
This growth was boosted by the signing of an open skies’ agreement between the two nations in January of this year, which has encouraged the opening of more air routes.
This nation is followed by Peru, from which 39,634 tourists traveled, representing a 67.8% increase compared to the 23,618 air passengers, an increase that could also be attributed to greater connectivity. Ecuador followed this trend, with 21,024 tourists, 29.09% more than the 16,286 tourists who arrived last year.
In the first four months of 2025, 95,060 Colombians also arrived, representing a 7.35% increase, and thus remaining one of the most important source markets in the entire region.
Fall of Venezuela
Venezuela, a neighboring country of Colombia and closely linked to the Dominican Republic, recorded a 70.43% drop during this period, dropping from 17,966 tourists in the first four months of last year to just 5,312 between January and April of this year.This plummeting comes after the Venezuelan government suspended flights starting in July 2024, effectively cutting off direct air connectivity between the two countries.
Mexico grows 25%
Of all North America, Mexico increased its air passenger shipments to the Dominican Republic by 25%, rising from 31,737 tourists in January-April 2024 to 39,652 tourists in January-April 2025.
Tourism Minister David Collado has acknowledged the industry’s resilience, which has remained attractive and competitive during what he described as a “difficult” start to the year, with April’s growth demonstrating “how strong it is.” (https://dominicantoday.com/dr/tourism/2025/06/08/south-american-tourists-offset-the-decline-in-arrivals-from-the-united-states-and-canada/)
