The Dominican Republic strengthens preventive aviation programs to receive more than 3.6 million passengers in entry and exit during Holy Week, celebrated from next Sunday, April 13, to Sunday, April 20, 2025. This amount represents a 12% increase in air transport figures.
For this reason, Héctor Porcella, president of the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), indicated that the entity calculates passengers by their entry and exit, recalling that in all of 2024, the data revealed a flow of 19 million visitors, an amount that they seek to increase to 20 million this year.
According to Diario Libre, he also stressed that the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) only measures passenger entry.
“We share the monthly civil aviation report for February, in which we grew between 5% and 8%, and the expectations for this Easter are that we will grow above 12%, consolidating the country as one of the most important tourist destinations in the Caribbean,” said the official.
Porcella stressed that the growth reflects the strength of the Dominican aeronautical and tourism sector. March and April are projected to have the highest air traffic in the country’s history.
The trips to the country during Holy Week coincide with Spring Break 2025 – a youth vacation in the United States, whose citizens prefer visiting tourist areas of the DR.
The United States remains the primary source of tourists, with a steady flow of travelers from cities such as New York, Miami, and Boston.
In addition, Canada maintains its relevance with a considerable increase in visitors from Toronto, Montreal, Ontario, and Quebec—Europe, with Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France at the forefront.
Mexico and Brazil experienced sustained growth, especially thanks to improvements in air connectivity and the increase in direct flights through the low-cost airline Arajet.
In terms of connectivity, the Dominican Republic has recently strengthened its aeronautical industry. According to Porcella, the country has signed more than 63 air agreements, and it is expected that between 11 and 12 more will be finalized this year with different states.
In addition, in November, Punta Cana will host the ICAN congress of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the largest air negotiation event in the world. “It is the first time that this event is held in our country, which represents a unique opportunity to continue expanding our air connectivity network,” explained Porcella.