The Dominican Republic’s tourism sector has sustained its positive upward trajectory through the first five months of 2026, official data from the nation’s top tourism official confirms. Tourism Minister David Collado announced that the Caribbean destination welcomed a total of 5.64 million international visitors between January and May 2026, marking an 8% year-over-year increase compared to the same period in 2025.
Breaking down the visitor figures, air travel accounted for the largest share of arrivals, with 4.15 million travelers entering the country via commercial and private flights — a 10.8% jump from 2025’s first five months. Cruise tourism remained a steady secondary stream, contributing nearly 1.5 million additional visitors to the annual total.
The robust growth trend held strong into the final month of the reporting period: Collado confirmed that May 2026 alone saw 744,045 air arrivals, a 10.4% increase compared to May 2025 that outpaces growth rates recorded in pre-2025 years as well.
When looking at source markets, the United States retains its position as the Dominican Republic’s largest supplier of tourists, accounting for 41% of all international visitors to the country in the 2026 period. Canada follows as the second-largest source market at 21%, with South American nations Argentina and Colombia rounding out the top four at 7% and 5% respectively.
In terms of airport infrastructure distribution, Punta Cana International Airport — the primary gateway for leisure travelers to the Dominican Republic’s eastern beach resorts — handled the vast majority of air arrivals, processing 66% of all air travelers between January and May. Las Américas International Airport, Cibao International Airport, and Puerto Plata’s Gregorio Luperón International Airport followed in volume, respectively.
Beyond raw arrival numbers, Collado highlighted strong performance across key industry indicators. Average hotel occupancy across the country hit more than 79% between January and April 2026, while overall visitor satisfaction scored 4.5 out of 5 in official surveys. Strikingly, 93% of surveyed tourists stated they would plan a return trip to the Dominican Republic, and 60% confirmed they would actively recommend the Caribbean destination to friends, family, and social media contacts.