The Dominican Republic’s tourism sector has hit an unprecedented milestone in the first half of 2026, marking its strongest semi-annual performance in history, according to official data released by Tourism Minister David Collado during a press briefing on industry performance. Between January and June, the Caribbean nation welcomed a total of 6,616,671 international visitors, representing a 7.7% year-over-year rise compared to the same period in 2025 and an 11% increase against 2024 figures. Breaking down the latest monthly numbers, Collado confirmed that June 2026 alone drew 975,012 tourists to the country, a 6% gain from June 2025 and a 5.5% uptick from June 2024.
Collado detailed the split of visitor arrivals, noting that 4,963,542 travelers entered the country via air travel in the first six months of 2026, while another 1,653,129 arrived on cruise ships. “These combined arrivals bring us to a remarkable 6.6 million total visitors in the first half of the year, putting us firmly on track to hit 12 million total visitors by the end of 2026 – that would be a true all-time record for our sector,” the minister told reporters.
Looking specifically at June’s air travel figures, the nation received 816,517 air arrivals last month, which outpaces June 2025 by 6%, June 2024 by 7.6%, June 2023 by 15.4%, and pre-pandemic June 2019 levels by a substantial 39.1%. Cruise arrivals in June reached 158,495 passengers, marking a 6.3% increase from the same month last year.
Official data breaks down the top source markets for June 2026 visitors: the United States accounts for 53% of all tourist arrivals, followed by Colombia at 8%, Canada at 7%, Puerto Rico and Argentina at 5% each, the United Kingdom and Chile at 3% each, and Mexico at 2%. Flight origin data mirrors this trend, with 53% of all incoming flights originating in the U.S., followed by Panama at 7%, Colombia and Puerto Rico at 6% each, and Canada at 5%. Across the country’s airport network, Punta Cana International Airport – the primary gateway for Caribbean leisure travel – handled 53% of all incoming flights, with Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo processing 28%, Cibao International Airport taking 12%, and smaller terminals in Puerto Plata, El Higüero, La Romana, and Samaná handling the remaining share.
Beyond raw arrival numbers, the sector is also posting strong performance metrics in hospitality and guest experience. Average hotel occupancy across the country hit 71% for the January-June period, while overall visitor satisfaction reached 4.4 out of a possible 5 points. The high satisfaction ratings have translated into strong word-of-mouth and repeat visit potential: 92% of surveyed visitors stated they would plan a return trip to the Dominican Republic, and 60% said they would actively recommend the destination to friends, family, or fellow travelers.
Citing the consistent upward trend and strong first-half results, Collado reaffirmed that the Dominican tourism industry is currently operating at its strongest level in history, and maintained the official full-year projection of more than 12 million total visitor arrivals by the end of December 2026.