SANTO DOMINGO.- The Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE) is the country's main tourism marketing fair, organized by the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (ASONAHORES), with the support of the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic (MITUR).
According to information published on ASONAHORES' official Instagram account and in promotional materials released by the organization, the 2026 edition will be held from April 22 to 24 at the Barceló Bávaro Convention Center in Punta Cana.
The exhibition functions as a platform for pre-arranged business appointments between international buyers, mainly tour operators and wholesale agencies, and local suppliers, including hotel chains, tourism projects and investors in the sector.
What it is and what it has represented in previous years
In previous editions, DATE has brought together hundreds of buyers from key source markets such as the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America, generating thousands of business meetings in a structured format that facilitates concrete agreements for the promotion and marketing of destinations.
Historically, the event has served as a showcase for:
- Launch of new hotel projects.
- Presentation of expansions and renovations of tourist infrastructure.
- Opening of new source markets.
- Strengthening public-private partnerships.
For the tourism real estate sector, DATE has also been a stage where developers and operators consolidate strategic relationships that directly impact hotel occupancy, the demand for second homes and the expansion of tourist centers such as Punta Cana, Miches, Puerto Plata and Samaná.
More than a fair
As described by ASONAHORES on its official platforms, DATE is not a fair open to the general public, but a professional exchange aimed at generating real business through an organized agenda of one-on-one meetings.
The event has established itself as one of the most important tourism gatherings in the Caribbean, projecting the Dominican Republic as a regional leader in visitor arrivals and hotel development.
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