Dominican Republic hotel occupancy reaches 82% in 2026, led by La Romana and Bayahíbe

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic‘s tourism industry continued its strong performance in 2026, with hotels recording an average occupancy rate of 82% from January through April and 72% in May, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR).

The May occupancy rate represents the highest level for the month in recent years, surpassing the 68% recorded in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The figures reflect the sustained growth of tourism in the Dominican Republic and the increasing demand for the country’s beach, leisure, and luxury destinations.

Among the top-performing destinations in May, La Romana led the country with a 91% hotel occupancy rate, followed by Bayahíbe with 89% and Bávaro-Punta Cana with 77%. Other key tourism hubs included Samaná (66%), Miches (63%), Juan Dolio-Boca Chica (60%), Puerto Plata (53%), and Santo Domingo (51%).

For the first five months of 2026, Bayahíbe posted the highest average occupancy rate nationwide at 92%, followed by La Romana (90%) and Bávaro-Punta Cana (88%). Juan Dolio-Boca Chica reached 80%, while Miches and Puerto Plata each recorded 77%, underscoring the strength of the Dominican Republic’s tourism sector across multiple destinations.

The report also highlighted high levels of visitor satisfaction. In May, 94% of tourists surveyed said they would return to the Dominican Republic, while 65% said they would recommend the destination to others. Overall visitor satisfaction reached 4.5 out of 5, reinforcing the country’s reputation as one of the Caribbean’s most attractive tourism markets.

The United States remained the Dominican Republic’s largest source market, accounting for 46% of visitors, followed by Canada, Argentina, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Brazil.