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BiggerAir arrivals dip as cruise tourism surges in the Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic set a new tourism record in the first quarter of 2025, receiving 3,348,716 visitors, marking a 4% increase over the same period in 2024 and 16% more than in 2023, according to Tourism Minister David Collado.
While total tourism grew, air arrivals slightly declined by 0.6%, totaling 2,320,725 tourists between January and March. The Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) attributed this minor dip to calendar differences—2025 being a leap year with one less day in February, and Easter falling in March last year, boosting those numbers.
Cruise tourism saw the most significant rise, with 1,027,991 cruise passengers arriving in the first quarter—a 15% increase from 2024, 27% from 2023, and a remarkable 167% increase compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels. The hotel sector also thrived, posting an 81% average occupancy rate, led by Punta Cana–Bávaro at 89% and La Romana at 85%.
While the rise in cruise ship tourism is nice the dip in traditional tourism could be problematic if the trend continues. The passengers on a cruise ship get off the boat for a couple of hours and spend some money on souvenirs and things of this nature and then get back on the boat and never return.. A regular tourist spends a lot more money on everything from hotels, taxis, restaurants , regular shopping ect…The DR needs people who spend a lot more money more than a 4-5 hour tourist.