- In the first half of this year, arrivals to the country, both by air and sea, strengthened the positive outlook for Dominican tourism, with an 11% increase compared to 2023, according to official data.
This demonstrates the sector’s evolution over the past six years, which has expanded by 49% compared to 2018, when the number of visitors was 3,982,182, highlighted Tourism Minister David Collado during a press conference.
Of the travelers in the country between January and June, 75.2% (4,474,981 tourists) were non-resident foreigners who entered through airports and stayed in the country for at least seven days, which is 9% more than last year.
Meanwhile, 24.7% (1,475,745) were cruise ship passengers who docked at ports in the country, marking a 16% increase from 2023 and a 159% increase from 2019, the year before the pandemic, indicating the steady growth of the cruise industry in the country.
June Arrivals
In June alone, which marks the start of the tourism peak season due to summer arrivals, the country received 758,179 tourists and 165,017 cruise ship passengers, representing increases of 7% and 15%, respectively, compared to the same month last year.
- This resulted in a 9% year-on-year increase in June arrivals, totaling 923,736 visitors.
“We are pleased with what we have been able to achieve together and where we are taking Dominican Republic tourism,” emphasized Collado, noting that the results align with projections that the country could reach up to 11.5 million visitors by the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, David Llibre, president of the Dominican Republic Hotels and Tourism Association (Asonahores), pointed out that the results indicate the industry is approaching “peak” growth levels.
He asserted that the tourism sector has the potential to double the population of the Dominican Republic solely through tourists, requiring continued reinforcement of public-private collaborations and the country’s ongoing maintenance and modernization of its hotel infrastructure, along with doubling its capacity.
Source:
