The Dominican Republic Is Close to Breaking Its All-Time Visitor Record

The Dominican Republic is on pace for the strongest December in the history of its travel and tourism industry, led by a surge in air arrivals that is setting new records across the board.

And it could pave the way for the highest number of annual visitors in the country’s history.

Tourism Minister David Collado said the country welcomed 390,000 air arrivals in the first 17 days of December alone, an increase of eleven percent compared to the same period in 2024. The figure represents a sixty percent jump versus December 2019, before the pandemic.

Collado shared the update during an event in Bayahíbe, where officials inaugurated a new visitor parking facility designed to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety at one of the destination’s most popular beaches. The new complex includes parking for 58 buses, 157 light vehicles, and 58 motorcycles, supporting the growing volume of visitors to the La Romana–Bayahíbe area.

According to the minister, December is on track to become the strongest tourism month ever recorded in República Dominicana, with total air arrivals expected to exceed 900,000 for the first time in a single month.

Cruise tourism is also contributing to the historic performance. Collado said more than 400,000 cruise passengers are projected to arrive during December, setting another monthly record. He highlighted the continued growth of the Port of La Romana, operated by Central Romana, as a key driver of cruise passenger volume.

Collado said the Ministry of Tourism’s strategy has focused on positioning the country as a global tourism leader through sustained investment, innovation, and infrastructure development, with destinations like Bayahíbe playing a central role in that growth.

The December surge caps what has already been a record-breaking year for Dominican tourism.

January 2025 opened with an all-time high of 1,155,484 visitors, representing growth of fifty-three percent compared to 2019 and eight percent year over year. By the end of the first quarter, total arrivals reached 3,348,716, supported by strong demand across both air and cruise segments.

The momentum continued through midyear. From January through June, the country recorded more than 6.14 million visitors, the highest total ever for the period. By August, cumulative arrivals surpassed eight million.

In November, the Ministry of Tourism confirmed that 10,284,251 visitors had arrived in the first eleven months of the year, virtually guaranteeing that total arrivals for 2025 will exceed eleven million. The figure would mark the highest annual total in the country’s history.