David Collado: Dominican Republic least affected by U.S. flight cancellations

Punta Cana.- Tourism Minister David Collado announced that the Dominican Republic has been the least affected country in the region by the recent wave of U.S. flight cancellations caused by the federal government shutdown. Speaking during La Semanal con la Prensa, Collado acknowledged that the situation had an indirect impact on tourism but emphasized that the country still recorded strong growth, welcoming 213,000 tourists in November—a 7% increase compared to the same month last year.

Collado explained that the U.S. remains the Dominican Republic’s main tourism source, accounting for more than half of all visitors. Despite the grounding of over 1,000 flights due to the ongoing political impasse in Washington, the country’s tourism sector continues to perform better than others in the Caribbean. According to Collado, investors in neighboring nations confirmed that the Dominican Republic’s tourism flow showed the least disruption in the region.

The U.S. travel crisis stems from the partial government shutdown, which has left thousands of federal employees, including air traffic controllers, without pay. As a result, airlines have canceled thousands of flights since the weekend, with delays expected to worsen if Congress fails to reach an agreement soon.