The end of December 2025 marks a historic milestone for tourism in the Dominican Republic, as air arrivals grew by over 10%, reaching a figure close to 960,000 tourists in a single month, the highest monthly record ever achieved by the country.
With this performance, the Dominican Republic closed the year with 11.6 million visitors, consolidating the best result in the history of Dominican tourism.
This achievement cannot be interpreted as a temporary recovery, but rather as confirmation of a resilient tourism model, capable of growing and sustaining itself in a global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown, and changes in international travel patterns.
The performance achieved during the year should be analyzed from a resilience and diversification perspective.
The result far exceeds the best pre-pandemic level, when around 667,000 tourists were received monthly, in a considerably more favorable international context, without the impacts derived from the war between Russia and Ukraine. This conflict caused the loss of more than 500,000 tourists a year for the Dominican destination.
Despite the slowdown in the US market and difficulties in some traditional source markets, Dominican tourism accelerated its growth in the last quarter of the year, consolidating its position as the undisputed leader of tourism in the region and reaffirming the strength of its offering as a destination.
A key element of the result has been the strengthening of air connectivity and the efficient management of demand, according to Listín Diario.
The expansion was accompanied by an efficient absorption of hotel growth, with the addition of approximately 2,500 new rooms, maintaining robust occupancy levels and sustaining investor confidence.
In addition, cruise tourism continued to consolidate itself as a strategic pillar of the sector.
During 2025, the Dominican Republic received 2.8 million cruise passengers, reinforcing its regional leadership and generating greater economic benefits in port areas.
The arrival of large-scale vessels and the expansion of international itineraries validate the operational capacity and modernization of the country’s port infrastructure, positioning it among the most important cruise destinations in the Caribbean.
The overall performance has been accompanied by the constant work of the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, whose leadership has been repeatedly recognized by the prominent leaders of international tourism.
Executives and global leaders in the sector have publicly highlighted the closeness, strategic vision, and execution capacity that have characterized Dominican tourism policy in recent years.
Among them are Gabriel Escarrer, Sabina Fluxá, Encarna Piñero, Alejandro Reynal, Adriana Cisneros, and Frank Rainieri, among other leaders in the sector, who have valued the consistency, closeness, and strategic vision of Dominican tourism management.
Unusually for the region, recognition has transcended the private sector and extended to the governmental level.
Tourism Ministers from various countries in the Americas have identified David Collado as a regional leader, highlighting his results, leadership, and management skills in a particularly challenging global context.
The consensus was consolidated when UN Tourism recognized Collado as Minister of Tourism for the Americas. This milestone not only distinguishes his management but also projects the Dominican Republic as a model of effective tourism public policy on the continent.
The end of the year confirms that Dominican tourism has reached a stage of institutional maturity, where results no longer depend exclusively on external circumstances but on a clear strategy, consistent execution, and a close relationship with the private sector.
The Dominican Republic not only closes in a big way, but also makes history, with the best tourism performance ever recorded and recognized leadership at the continental level. (https://dominicantoday.com/dr/tourism/2026/01/04/dominican-republic-shatters-record-for-arrivals-with-11-6-million-visitors-in-2025/)
