The Dominican Republic’s blazing start to 2022 has continued, with the destination breaking another record for the first three months of the year. 

The Caribbean hotspot welcomed 2,076,171 people in the first quarter, its highest total for the first quarter of any year in its history. 

That was 11 percent higher than the previous high total in 2019, according to Dominican Republic Tourism Minister David Collado. That included a sizzling March, which saw 740,324 air arrivals, a 10 percent increase over 2019. 

On the cruise side, the Dominican Republic also reported 280,247 cruise passengers in March. 

The numbers are “something never seen,” Collado said. 

The country is now projecting 7.8 million annual tourists this year, if the numbers hold — which would easily be the highest annual total in Dominican history. 

The United States continues to dominate arrivals, with 48.1 percent of all visitors to the country in the quarter. 

Hotel occupancy is an outstanding 80 percent, with travelers staying for an average of eight days on their Dominican vacations. 

The destination continues to be by far the most-visited destination in the wider Caribbean region.