Dominican Republic welcomes 5.6 million visitors in first five months of 2026

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic continued its tourism growth in the first five months of 2026, welcoming 5.64 million visitors, an 8% increase compared to the same period last year, according to Tourism Minister David Collado. Of that total, 4.15 million arrived by air, up 10.8%, while nearly 1.5 million visitors entered through cruise tourism.

Collado reported that May alone saw 744,045 air arrivals, representing growth of 10.4% compared to May 2025 and significant increases over previous years. The United States remained the country’s largest source market, accounting for 41% of visitors, followed by Canada (21%), Argentina (7%), and Colombia (5%).

Punta Cana International Airport handled the majority of tourist arrivals, receiving 66% of air travelers between January and May, followed by Las Américas, Cibao, and Puerto Plata airports. The minister also highlighted strong tourism performance indicators, with hotel occupancy exceeding 79% during the January-April period and visitor satisfaction reaching 4.5 out of 5. According to the data, 93% of tourists said they would return to the Dominican Republic, while 60% would recommend the destination to others.