The Dominican Republic's tourism landscape is currently experiencing an unprecedented boom, with visitor numbers reaching historic highs in the initial seven months of 2025. This exceptional growth underscores the nation's increasing appeal as a top-tier travel destination, drawing millions to its vibrant cities, pristine beaches, and picturesque mountain regions. The impressive figures reflect a significant rebound and sustained expansion within the global travel industry, positioning the Dominican Republic as a formidable player in the Caribbean tourism market.
From January through July 2025, the Dominican Republic proudly welcomed a total of 7,197,844 international visitors. This record-breaking achievement represents the highest recorded influx of tourists for this specific period in the country's history. According to data provided by Tourism Minister David Collado, this figure signifies a notable 3.2% increase compared to the same timeframe in 2024, a substantial 14% rise from 2023, and an impressive 49% surge when juxtaposed with pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The comprehensive statistics reveal that a significant proportion of these travelers, specifically 5,377,878 individuals, arrived via air transportation, indicating a 1.7% year-over-year increase in air passenger volume. Concurrently, the cruise sector also played a vital role in this expansion, with 1,819,966 visitors disembarking from cruise ships, marking a 3.2% rise from the previous year's comparable period. This dual-pronged growth highlights the diverse appeal and accessibility of the Dominican Republic to a wide range of travelers.
Minister Collado emphasized the combined impact of these figures, stating, “These two historic arrival figures give us a total of 7,197,844 visitors in seven months, a record in the history of Dominican tourism.” The robust performance continued into July, which saw 863,785 air arrivals, an increase of 6.5% over July 2024. When combined with 189,051 cruise passengers, the total number of visitors for July alone reached 1,052,836, reflecting a 3.4% increase from the prior year, 12% over 2023, and a remarkable 56% above 2019 levels. This strong showing in air arrivals, following several months of moderate growth, served as a powerful indicator of the year's positive trajectory.
The United States continued to be the primary source market for tourism, contributing 52% of all arrivals, underscoring the strong ties between the two nations. Canada followed as the second-largest contributor with 7%, while Argentina and Puerto Rico each accounted for 6%. Other significant markets included Colombia (4%), Mexico (3%), and Spain, Brazil, and Chile (each contributing 2%). The majority of international visitors entered the country through Punta Cana International Airport, which managed 59% of all air passenger traffic. Santo Domingo’s Las Américas Airport handled 23%, and Santiago’s Cibao Airport accounted for 13% of arrivals, demonstrating the distributed entry points across the nation.
The sustained upturn in tourist arrivals, spanning both air and sea entry points, solidifies the Dominican Republic's position as a dynamic and highly sought-after destination within the global travel community. The diverse attractions, ranging from urban exploration to pristine coastal retreats and mountainous landscapes, combined with effective tourism strategies, continue to draw an ever-increasing number of international visitors.