David Collado says air connectivity and new hotels will drive tourism growth

Santo Domingo.- Tourism Minister David Collado said the Dominican Republic is focusing on expanding air connectivity and increasing hotel capacity to sustain tourism growth amid challenges such as sargassum influxes and global geopolitical tensions.

Collado revealed that the country recently secured an increase of more than 100,000 airline seats from Canada, one of the Caribbean’s most important tourism markets. He noted that efforts made during recent visits to Toronto and Montreal helped strengthen partnerships with major carriers, boosting the flow of visitors to the Dominican Republic.

The minister stressed that air connectivity remains the primary driver of tourism growth, while additional hotel infrastructure is needed to accommodate rising demand. Despite the loss of visitors from Russia and Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe, hotel occupancy rates remain between 95% and 98%. To meet future demand, the country needs an estimated 30,000 new hotel rooms, with about 16,000 currently under construction. Collado highlighted the upcoming opening of the Moon Palace Punta Cana, which will add 2,500 rooms and help support continued expansion in the tourism sector.