With 11.6 million international visitors in 2025, the country ranks only behind Mexico and ahead of Brazil, according to UN Tourism
SANTO DOMINGO– The Dominican Republic no longer competes solely with traditional Caribbean destinations. Today, it ranks among the three most visited countries in Latin America, a position that confirms the transformation of tourism into one of the country's main economic and investment drivers.
The most recent figures published by UN Tourism and released by the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), corresponding to the 2025 performance, place the country in second place in the region for international visitor arrivals, only surpassed by Mexico and ahead of Brazil, after receiving around 11.6 million visitors.
More than just a statistic, the result reflects the country's ability to sustain growth that has impacted sectors such as construction, real estate investment, transportation, gastronomy and services, making tourism one of the pillars of national economic development.
A leadership that also transforms the territory
The growth of tourism has been accompanied by a sustained expansion of the infrastructure that supports the industry. In recent years, the development of new hotels, tourist real estate projects, cruise ports, airports, and road infrastructure has increased the country's capacity to receive a growing number of visitors.
This dynamic is further enhanced by the emergence of new tourist destinations that complement established ones like Punta Cana, La Romana, and Puerto Plata. Areas such as Miches, Pedernales, Samaná, Jarabacoa, and Constanza continue to be incorporated into the national tourism offerings through projects that aim to diversify the visitor experience and distribute economic activity to other provinces.
More visitors, greater confidence to invest
The positioning achieved also strengthens the perception of the Dominican Republic as an attractive market for domestic and foreign investors.
The stability of tourist flow has favored the development of hotel complexes, residential projects linked to tourism, holiday villas and new investments in complementary services, consolidating an industry that maintains a constant demand for infrastructure and urban development.
This performance takes on greater significance in an international context where several destinations are still working to fully recover the visitor levels recorded before the pandemic.
Sustained growth
According to information released by MITUR, the leadership achieved is due to a strategy based on the expansion of air connectivity, international promotion and the diversification of the tourism offer.
The country has increased the number of visitors from North America, Europe and Latin America, while strengthening segments such as cultural, gastronomic, sports, ecological and luxury tourism, in addition to traditional sun and beach tourism.
The figures for 2026 maintain this trend. Between January and May, the country received 5.6 million visitors, while January set a historic record by exceeding 1.2 million arrivals, reflecting that international demand continues to grow.
The challenge now is to sustain growth
Staying among the most visited destinations in Latin America also involves new challenges.
The constant increase in visitors requires continued strengthening of airport and road infrastructure, expansion of hotel capacity, improvement of urban mobility, and ensuring efficient management of resources such as water, energy, and waste, elements increasingly valued by international travelers, according to the entity.
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