The Dominican Republic’s tourism sector has achieved an unprecedented milestone, recording its strongest January performance in history with over 1.2 million visitors marking a spectacular start to 2026. According to Tourism Minister David Collado, who unveiled the remarkable statistics during a presentation at Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), the country welcomed 1,219,606 tourists during the first month of the year.
This figure represents a substantial 5.5% increase compared to January 2025 and an extraordinary 61.7% surge above pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019. The data reveals particularly impressive growth in air arrivals, with 825,847 visitors arriving by air—an 8.7% year-on-year increase. Meanwhile, cruise tourism demonstrated explosive growth, with 393,759 passengers arriving by sea, marking a 21% increase from 2025 and a staggering 152% surge from 2019 levels.
Minister Collado emphasized the historical significance of these numbers, stating: “This is the first time in our nation’s history that we have exceeded 1.2 million visitors in January, confirming the extraordinary momentum of Dominican tourism.”
The United States remained the dominant source market, contributing 35% of all visitors, followed by Canada (24%), Argentina (8%), Colombia (5%), France (3%), with the United Kingdom and Italy each accounting for 2%. Punta Cana International Airport handled the majority of arrivals at 63%, followed by Las Américas (18%), Cibao (9%), Puerto Plata (6%), with La Romana and Samaná accounting for 2% and 1% respectively.
Supporting these arrival numbers, hotel occupancy rates surpassed 82% throughout January, while tourist satisfaction ratings reached an impressive 4.4 out of 5 points. The aviation sector also showed robust performance with 6,789 flights recorded and an average occupancy rate of 75%, indicating sustained growth across all tourism indicators.