Mitur and Asonahores finalize Airbnb regulation framework

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic is advancing efforts to regulate short-term rental platforms like Airbnb, which have stirred debate over unfair competition and tourist safety since March 2022. The Vice President of Asonahores, Aguie Lendor, confirmed that discussions between the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) and the hospitality sector are in the final stages, with the regulation expected to be implemented soon.

Between January and March 2025, over 2.3 million non-resident foreigners visited the country by air. Of these, 25.2%—or around 586,088 visitors—chose short-term rentals over hotels. While this figure reflects a 2% decline from the same period in 2024, traditional hotels saw a modest increase in preference, welcoming 1,734,467 tourists in early 2025. Among Dominican expatriates, short-term rentals were even more popular: roughly two-thirds of the 311,961 travelers opted for this type of accommodation.

As of December 2024, the country had 78,839 hotel rooms across 399 establishments, with Bávaro and Punta Cana hosting over 60% of them. In contrast, approximately 120,000 short-term rental units were active nationwide. In 2024 alone, 30% of the 8.5 million arriving non-resident foreigners stayed in these informal lodgings—highlighting both their popularity and the urgency to regulate them.

Authorities aim to ensure fair competition, security for travelers, and proper oversight of the growing number of short-term accommodations, which continue to reshape the Dominican tourism landscape.