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President Luis Abinader has praised the Dominican Republic’s tourism boom as one of his administration’s greatest successes.
Speaking on LA Semanal con la Prensa on August 11, he said visitor numbers jumped 48 percent from 7.5 million in 2019 to 11.2 million in 2024, winning recognition from the World Tourism Organization for leading the region’s post-pandemic recovery.
The Ministry of Tourism reported a record 6,145,008 visitors in the first half of 2025, almost two million more than in the same period of 2019 and slightly above last year’s figure. Around 4.5 million arrivals were by air, while 1.63 million came by cruise ship—a segment that has grown from 830,000 passengers in 2019 to 2.6 million in 2024.
To strengthen this growth, the government signed a Presidential Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association in early August.
The deal, signed by Tourism Minister David Collado and FCCA president Adam Ceserano in the presence of President Abinader, runs until December 2026. It includes plans to upgrade port facilities, host major cruise industry events, increase the use of Dominican goods and services, and expand cultural offerings. The country will host the FCCA’s PAMAC Destination Summit in June 2026.
Abinader called cruise tourism a vital part of the economy and expressed confidence that 2025 will set another passenger record. The Ministry of Tourism expects total arrivals this year could pass 12 million.
From January to June 2025, tourism revenue reached nearly US$5.8 billion, 1.8 percent higher than the same period last year. Foreign direct investment totaled US$2.89 billion, with almost half going to tourism and energy. The World Travel & Tourism Council forecasts the sector will contribute over US$21 billion to GDP by year’s end—about 16 percent of the economy—while supporting nearly 900,000 jobs.
With strong hotel occupancy and continued infrastructure upgrades, the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry appears set to drive a new era of economic growth.
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