- Cruise ships contributed 1.6 million travelers
- David Collado highlights alliance to recover French tourism
The Dominican Republic’s tourist destinations received 6,616,671 visitors during the first half of this year, 471,663 more than in the same period of 2025, an increase of 7.7%.
4.9 million arrived by air, a growth of 10%, and 1.6 million in cruise ships, a more moderate expansion of only 1.4%, compared to the same period last year, according to the sector’s results presented yesterday by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado.
North and South America were the main sources of the increase in non-resident visitors to the country in the first half of the year, which registered an absolute increase of 449,449.
Of these additional tourists arriving between January and June 2026, 31% came from the USA (139,550), 20% from Canada (89,016), 11% from Colombia (50,431) and Argentina contributed 7% (33,516). Other countries such as Mexico (7%), Peru (4%) and France, Spain and Brazil, with 3%, contributed to the growth in tourist arrivals registered by national destinations in the first six months of the year.
Nearly 38,000 flights
Air operations continue as the main link of the Dominican tourism industry with the world. During the first half of the year, airports received 37,895 flights, a figure that represents an expansion of 7.7% when compared to the figures for the same period in 2025.
Collado emphasized that the increase in the number of flights during the first half of the year occurred despite the U.S. airline Spirit – which used to contribute 324,000 seats – exiting the market when it declared bankruptcy last May.
Meanwhile, Technical Deputy Minister of Tourism, Jacqueline Mora, explained that the dynamism of local airlines influenced the increase in the number of flights.
“This shows that the strategy followed in recent years to support this sector is the right one. Much of the success (in mitigating) the international impact that the price of fuel has had, in our case, is due to the existence of (national) airlines,” Mora said.
Hotel occupansy
The data presented by Tourism show that the hotel occupancy rate stood at 71% last June.
Grupo Puntacana alliance praised
The Minister of Tourism took the moment to highlight the recovery of French tourism, which, he said, was thanks to a public-private partnership with the Punta Cana airport. “Don Frank (Rainieri) lowered all airport costs and the Dominican Republic made a working agreement with Air France and here are the results,” he said. 12,499 of the 449,449 additional tourists visiting Dominican destinations between January and June this year, were from France.
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