The country received 117,797 non-resident passengers during that period. The United States remained the main source market, Punta Cana accounted for 60.2% of arrivals, and the average stay was nine days
SANTO DOMINGO.– Short-term rental accommodations topped the lodging categories among visitors arriving in the Dominican Republic during the week of September 6-14, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur).
The report indicates that this modality continues to be the leading choice among tourists' favorite spaces, accumulating 80,186 passengers, equivalent to 68.1% of the total, for a year-on-year growth of 1.5%.
Private accommodation accounted for 25,806 travelers, representing a 21.9% share, although it experienced a 17.3% decrease. In contrast, the hotel category reached 11,804 passengers, equivalent to 10% of the total, with a 61.9% increase compared to the 7,289 registered in 2015.
This latest result made hotels the fastest growing category in percentage terms among the three reported categories, although Airbnb retained the largest market share.
Children under 13 years old lead by age group
Children under 13 years of age made up the largest age group among non-resident passengers arriving by air in the Dominican Republic during week 37 of 2026. Meanwhile, men constituted the majority of travelers, with a share of 51.7%, according to
The Weekly Passenger Arrivals Tracking Report by Air, prepared by the agency's Intelligence Directorate, reported 117,797 non-resident arrivals during the week beginning September 6, 2026, compared to 117,527 recorded in the same period of 2025. The difference was 270 travelers, for a year-on-year increase of 0.2%.
The document also specified that the overall passenger volume increased from 136,605 in 2025 to 137,619 in 2026, representing an additional 1,014 passengers and a positive variation of 0.7%.
The age breakdown revealed that children between the ages of zero and 12 ranked first, with 42,453 travelers, representing 36% of all non-residents. This segment experienced a 3.8% increase compared to the same week of the previous year, when it totaled 40,894 people.
The second largest group was those aged 21 to 35, with 32,116 passengers, representing 27.3% of the total, although they registered a contraction of 2.3% compared to 2025.
Meanwhile, travelers aged 13 to 20 reached 29,982, corresponding to 25.5%, after experiencing a year-on-year decrease of 4.1%.
Among the older age groups, people aged 36 to 49 totaled 5,377, for an increase of 9.4%, while passengers aged 50 and over reached 7,868, with an increase of 4%.
These figures show different behaviors according to age: while those under 13 years of age and the groups from 36 years of age onwards showed increases, the segments between 13 and 35 years of age experienced setbacks.
Men made up 51.7% of travelers
In the distribution by sex, men totaled 60,927 arrivals, equivalent to 51.7% of the total, while women accounted for 56,869, for a proportion of 48.3%.
The gap between the two groups was 4,058 passengers in favor of males. However, when comparing the results with those of the previous year, male arrivals decreased slightly, by 0.2%, while female arrivals increased by 0.7%.
In general terms, the composition by sex remained relatively balanced, although with a moderate male predominance.
The United States retains its leadership among source markets
By country of residence, the United States continued to be the main source market, with 33,128 passengers, equivalent to 28.1% of the total. This result represented a 7.5% increase compared to the 30,806 arrivals recorded in the comparable week of 2025.
Puerto Rico stood out for its year-over-year expansion, going from 8,934 to 11,173 travelers, for an increase of 25.1%.
Argentina also showed positive growth, with 7,691 passengers and an 18.9% increase. Chile, for its part, reached 8,634 arrivals, 13.1% more than in the reference period, while Canada added 4,321, for a positive variation of 5.4%.
In contrast, Colombia saw a decrease from 4,397 to 4,191 travelers, representing a drop of 4.7%. The combined total of other markets experienced a reduction of 11.8%, falling from 55,186 to 48,658 passengers.
The behavior of these markets shows that the evolution of arrivals was uneven, with significant progress in some countries and setbacks in others.
Punta Cana received six out of every ten passengers
Punta Cana Airport solidified its position as the main gateway to the Dominican Republic, handling 70,906 passengers, representing 60.2% of the total. This figure surpassed by 2% the 69,502 travelers registered during the same week in 2015.
Las Américas International Airport ranked second, with 28,599 arrivals and a 24.3% share, although it experienced a 1.4% decrease compared to the previous year.
On the other hand, Cibao International Airport received 12,584 passengers, equivalent to 10.7%, representing a 12.3% decrease. Puerto Plata recorded 3,631 travelers, with a 24.5% increase, while La Romana registered 885, which represented a 29.8% decrease.
Meanwhile, Samaná saw 738 arrivals, a 246.5% increase, and La Isabela received 449 passengers, representing a 56.6% increase. Despite these percentage increases, both terminals registered considerably lower volumes than Punta Cana and Las Américas.
The average stay reached nine days
The report established an average stay of nine days for the passengers analyzed, although the duration of visits varied according to the country of residence and the age group.
Travelers residing in the United States stayed an average of nine days in the country, while those from Canada stayed five days. For Argentinians and Colombians, the average stay was eight days, compared to 11 days for all other markets combined.
By age, people aged 50 and over had the longest stay, with an average of 20 days. They were followed by passengers aged 36 to 49, with 14 days; those under 13, with eight days; and the 13-20 and 21-35 age groups, both with seven days.
Regarding gender, both men and women recorded an average stay of nine days.
Tocumen led the departures
In the ranking by departure cities, Tocumen ranked first, with 66,597 passengers, equivalent to 56.5% of the total in this category. This result represented a 3.1% increase compared to 2015.
Bogotá recorded 13,104 travelers, a decrease of 24.3%, while New York reached 7,594, an increase of 19.9%. Newark registered 8,561 passengers, down 1.2%, and Miami totaled 8,574, a decrease of 11.2%.
Meanwhile, the "other cities" category totaled 13,366 passengers, representing a 21.9% increase compared to the same period of the previous year.
Moderate growth and variations in the profile of travelers
The results for week 37 of 2026 show a moderate increase in air arrivals to the Dominican Republic, accompanied by differences in passenger composition according to age, sex, country of residence, airport of entry and type of accommodation.
Key findings include the predominance of children under 13 in the age classification, the slight male majority, the US leadership among source markets, and the concentration of arrivals in Punta Cana.
Similarly, the statistics highlight the growth of travelers from Puerto Rico, Argentina and Chile, in contrast to the declines observed in Colombia and in certain airport terminals and types of accommodation.
Finally, the Ministry of Tourism reported that the data is preliminary and noted that it has databases in Excel format to expand the queries and facilitate a more detailed analysis of the results.
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