Average daily tourist spending in the Dominican Republic skyrockets

In a destination like the Dominican Republic, where every tourist who arrives reinforces the weight of the hotel, bar, and restaurant sector within the economy, news that tourists are staying less time in the country could, in principle, be interpreted as a negative development.

However, while the reduction in the length of stays is a reality, the behavior of the indicators suggests a different interpretation. Statistics show that as the number of visitors increases, so does the average expenditure per visitor.

According to statistics from the Dominican Central Bank, the average daily expenditure of tourists visiting the country reached US$170.94 in 2025, the highest level in the last decade. Meanwhile, the average length of stay decreased to 7.85 nights, the lowest figure in 10 years, confirming that visitors are spending less time in the country but generating higher daily expenditures.

Between 2015 and 2025, the destination has seen an increase in tourists each year, with an average annual growth of 4.7%, reaching over 8,860,709 visitors, the highest figure for that period. Meanwhile, average spending per visitor has increased by approximately 2.8% per year, while the average length of stay has begun to decrease in recent years.

Spending per night

Between 2015 and 2019, visitors stayed in the country for an average of 8.3 to 8.6 nights, with little variation. However, in 2020 and 2021, the average stay increased, reaching 9.06 nights in 2020 and 9.55 nights in 2021, the highest level in the last decade. Since 2022, however, the trend has gradually declined.

That year, the average stay was 8.57 nights, which subsequently decreased to 8.02 in 2023, 8.01 in 2024, and 7.85 in 2025. Compared with the peak recorded in 2021, the average trip duration has decreased by 1.70 nights, equivalent to approximately 18%.

While the length of stay per visitor is decreasing, the average daily expenditure per tourist has increased. In 2015, tourists spent an average of US$129.56 per day, while in 2025 the figure reached US$170.94. This represents an increase of US$41.38 per visitor, equivalent to 32%.

On average, daily tourist spending has increased by about 2.8% annually over the past decade. The indicator shows three distinct phases. Between 2015 and 2019, spending grew moderately, rising from US$129.56 to US$136.24 per day. In 2020 and 2021, it decreased slightly, remaining around US$129 per day. From 2022 onward, growth has accelerated.

Average spending rose from US$139.19 that year to US$153.28 in 2023, then to US$167.75 in 2024, and finally to US$170.94 in 2025, the highest figure in a decade. Overall, this represents an increase of US$31.75 per visitor, equivalent to approximately 22.8% growth in just three years.

The increase in spending per visitor coincides with an expansion in international tourist flows. In 2015, the Dominican Republic received 5,599,859 tourists; this number rose to 6,568,888 in 2018, according to El Dinero.

In 2019, there was a slight decrease to 6,446,036 tourists, although this figure was higher than those observed in the middle of the decade. Overall, between 2015 and 2019, tourist arrivals increased by 846,177 visitors, representing a cumulative growth of approximately 15.1% over four years.

The trend was interrupted in 2020, when visitor arrivals plummeted to 2,405,315, the lowest level on record, due to the pandemic. A recovery process then began. In 2021, the country received 4,994,313 tourists; this figure increased to 7,163,414 in 2022, 8,058,671 in 2023, and 8,535,701 in 2024, reaching a record 8,860,709 visitors in 2025.

Visitors

According to the Central Bank’s “Survey of opinions, attitudes and motivations of non-resident foreigners in the Dominican Republic”, in 2024, 78.7% of tourists considered the prices they paid during their stay acceptable relative to the services received, while 16% rated them as low or very low.

In addition, 75.5% rated the hotel service as excellent.