Abinader boasts of the Dominican Republic's leadership in regional tourism, and the government is formulating a strategic transition towards more sustainable tourism.
SANTO DOMINGO. – Beyond the figures, which were released in January, President Luis Abinader's speech in the National Assembly revealed a strategic shift in the tourism industry, which will no longer be seen solely as an engine of foreign exchange but as an instrument for territorial planning and inclusive development.
During the 2025 Accountability Report, the president announced that the government had formulated the first National Sustainable Tourism Policy and Strategy, projected to 2036 and developed with the participation of more than 1,400 public and private stakeholders. In parallel, the National Ecotourism Strategy was finalized, aimed at diversifying tourism offerings to include protected areas and emerging territories.
The Dominican Republic received more than 11.7 million visitors in 2025, representing a year-on-year growth of 4.3%, equivalent to almost half a million additional tourists compared to 2024 and more than four million above 2019, as reported by President Luis Abinader in his address to the National Assembly.
The figure, already released by the Central Bank and the Ministry of Tourism, reaffirms the country's leading regional position as the second most popular tourist destination in Latin America, second only to Mexico. Part of this increase is due to the growth in cruise tourism, which registered almost three million passengers, a 6% increase compared to the previous year, further diversifying tourist flows.
Structural transformation of the tourism model
The president explained that this growth must be accompanied by a structural transformation of the tourism model, and it is within this context that the objectives of incorporating environmental, social, and governance criteria into sectoral tourism planning were defined. The National Ecotourism Strategy will be geared toward diversifying the offerings to include protected areas and emerging destinations, with a view to decentralizing activity from traditional hubs and extending economic benefits to new regions.
On the urban level, he highlighted the incorporation of the Colonial City into the Ibero-American Network of Smart Tourist Destinations, an initiative that links heritage rehabilitation, digitization of services and improvement in destination management, while its comprehensive rehabilitation process advances with an investment executed of US$28.6 million in heritage and urban recovery.
Tourism infrastructure in destinations
He also highlighted the implementation of tourism infrastructure through the Tourism Zone Infrastructure Executive Committee, such as the completion of the piers in Miches and La Caleta, the renovation of the seawalls in Haina and Guayacanes, and the development of urban projects in Puerto Plata, Samaná, and Sosúa, directly impacting 91 communities, as part of a policy that seeks to integrate tourism and local development. The official approach envisions the sector not only continuing to be a source of foreign exchange and employment, but also serving as an instrument for territorial planning and reducing regional inequalities by 2036.
The most significant fact, from a structural perspective, is that the country already receives more than one visitor per inhabitant, an indicator that places it in the group of high-intensity tourist destinations globally.
Discourse analysis suggests that Dominican tourism is undergoing a phase of quantitative consolidation, accompanied by a qualitative challenge: greater territorial integration, environmental sustainability, and internal production chains.
The official goal for 2036 aims to maintain regional leadership without relying exclusively on the traditional sun and beach model, incorporating ecotourism, cultural tourism, and smart urban development as complementary pillars.
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