The end of December 2025 marks a historic milestone for tourism in the Dominican Republic, as air arrivals increased by more than 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 success cannot be interpreted as a temporary recovery, but rather as confirmation of a resilient tourism model, capable of developing and maintaining itself in a global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, an economic slowdown and changes in international travel habits.
The performance achieved during the year must be analyzed from a perspective of resilience and diversification.
The result far exceeds the best level before the pandemic, when around 667,000 tourists were welcomed each month, in a considerably more favorable international context, without the impacts linked to the war between Russia and Ukraine. This conflict has caused the loss of more than 500,000 tourists per year for the Dominican destination.
Despite the slowdown in the US market and the difficulties of some traditional source markets, Dominican tourism accelerated its growth in the last quarter of the year, consolidating its position as the undisputed tourism leader in the region and reaffirming the strength of its offering as a destination.
A key element of the result was the strengthening of air connectivity and the effective management of demand, according to Listín Diario.
The expansion was accompanied by effective absorption of hotel growth, with the addition of approximately 2,500 new rooms, maintaining robust occupancy levels and sustained investor confidence.
Furthermore, cruise tourism has continued to consolidate itself as a strategic pillar of the sector.
In 2025, the Dominican Republic welcomed 2.8 million cruise passengers, strengthening its regional leadership and generating greater economic benefits in port areas.
The arrival of large ships 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 was accompanied by the constant work of the Minister of Tourism, David Colladowhose management has been repeatedly recognized by leading international tourism leaders.
Executives and global leaders in the sector have publicly highlighted the proximity, strategic vision and capacity to execute 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 appreciated the coherence, proximity and strategic vision of Dominican tourism management.
Unusually in the region, recognition has transcended the private sector and extended to the government level.
Tourism ministers from various countries in the Americas have identified David Collado as a regional leader, showcasing its results, leadership and management skills in a particularly difficult global context.
The consensus was consolidated when UN Tourism recognized Collado as Minister of Tourism of the Americas. This important step not only distinguishes its 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, coherent execution and a close relationship with the private sector.
The Dominican Republic not only closes in style, but also makes history, with the best tourism performance ever recorded and recognized leadership at the continental level.
