Dominican Republic expands tourism markets to offset U.S. tariff effects

Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Tourism is actively working to diversify the Dominican Republic’s source markets in response to potential economic impacts from U.S. government tariffs, according to Minister David Collado.

Collado emphasized the country’s efforts to strengthen tourism ties with Southern Cone nations such as Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, while also expanding into other non-traditional markets to reduce dependence on the U.S. and Europe. He noted significant growth from Colombia, which now sends nearly 500,000 tourists annually.

Although U.S. tourist arrivals dropped by 2% in April—a decline Collado called normal—he stressed that increased interest from Latin American countries is helping to balance the numbers. He also cited the open skies agreement as a positive step toward lowering airfare and attracting more international visitors.