The Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic is cementing its status as one of the world’s top golf tourism hotspots, leveraging its unbeatable combination of stunning natural landscapes, premium hospitality infrastructure, and championship-caliber golf courses to draw high-value visitors from across the globe.
Data shared by senior tourism officials reveals just how central golf has become to the country’s fast-growing sports tourism sector. Jean Carlos Navarro, head of Sports Tourism at the Dominican Ministry of Tourism (Mitur), told reporters that one out of every three sports travelers visiting the country names golf as their primary activity. Recent surveys of non-resident golf tourists underscore the sector’s success: respondents gave the Dominican Republic’s golf offering an overall satisfaction rating of 4.7 out of a possible 5 points. Seventy-four percent of those surveyed said they would actively recommend the country as a golf travel destination to friends and fellow golfers, while an overwhelming 87.2 percent confirmed they plan to return for another golf vacation in the future.
Navarro emphasized that these metrics confirm the unique value of golf and sports tourism as a driver of sustainable growth for the country’s travel and hospitality industry, not only attracting new visitors but also generating overwhelmingly positive experiences that drive word-of-mouth promotion and repeat visits.
Overall visitor numbers to the Dominican Republic between January and September 2026 reflect consistent upward momentum, totaling 9,241,246 international arrivals – a 7.5 percent year-over-year increase compared to the same period in 2025. The United States remains the country’s largest source market, accounting for 39 percent of all international visitors, with Canada ranking as the second-largest source market at 11 percent.
The new tourism data was unveiled during a press conference ahead of the Dominican Republic Tour Championship, presented by Scotiabank. The event marks the final stop on the 2026 PGA Tour Americas season, and it is the first time the prestigious tour has hosted its season finale in the Dominican Republic, with tournament play running from October 15 to 18.
Industry leaders say the North American markets hold enormous untapped potential for further growth in Dominican golf tourism. Gonzalo Pan de Soraluce, global golf director for Piñero, noted that the large size and high spending power of golf communities in the U.S. and Canada make them core target segments for the country’s tourism expansion. The United States alone is home to roughly 33 million active golfers, a massive pool of potential visitors, he added.
Pan de Soraluce explained that golf travelers increasingly prioritize destinations that let them combine their passion for the sport with a full vacation experience, a demand the Dominican Republic is perfectly positioned to meet. Unlike many casual tourist segments, golf tourists typically extend their trips and spend between two and three times more per traveler than the average visitor, making the segment a high-priority focus for destinations looking to grow their premium, high-value tourism sectors.