Dominican Republic grows above the world average in tourism, according to the UNWTO

Punta Cana.- The Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili, announced on Wednesday that the Dominican Republic has achieved a rapid recovery in the tourism industry, surpassing the global average. Speaking at the 118th meeting of the UNWTO Executive Committee in Punta Cana, Pololikashvili praised the country’s leadership and its position as a benchmark for tourism worldwide.

Gustavo Santos, UNWTO Director for the Americas, also acknowledged the Dominican Republic’s prominence in the global tourism industry. The country’s strong recovery in tourism, which is being discussed at the meeting as a new trend in the sector, has propelled it ahead of the global average.

According to the latest data from the Dominican Ministry of Tourism, the country welcomed over 3.7 million tourists in the first four months of 2023. This includes more than 2.7 million arrivals by air, representing a 25% increase compared to the same period in 2022. Additionally, nearly one million cruise passengers visited the country, nearly doubling the figures from January to April last year.

April alone saw a record-breaking 862,705 visitors arriving through both air and cruise routes. With this positive trend, the Ministry of Tourism expects the Dominican Republic to receive approximately 9.8 million tourists this year, with around 7.8 million arriving by air and 1.9 million on cruise ships.