It was in 2013 at the DATE conference, the Dominican Republic’s annual local tourism conference. Then-Vice Minister Radames Martínez Aponte took to the stage and boldly announced the country’s ambitious goal of reaching 10 million tourists annually by 2023.
At the time, it was ambitious. Very ambitious. But 10 million people is obsolete after the post-pandemic recovery boom. In fact, the country is expected to receive 12 million visitors by the end of this year.
The plan is for even greater growth, said Raquel Peña, the current Vice President of the Dominican Republic.
the goal? It will attract 14 million tourists a year by 2028, part of the country’s broader sustainable growth strategy to 2036.
It is not unreasonable to predict such growth today. That’s thanks to a surge in air arrivals and a quietly booming cruise industry centered on the country’s northern coast.
Punta Cana remains the country’s tourism hub, but traditionally less popular destinations are driving tourism expansion.
That includes the capital, Santo Domingo, where the pipeline of new hotels (and new air transport) continues to grow, as well as up-and-coming spots like Miches. This is one of the areas where there are high hopes for resort development in the country, and it is also an area that is already hosting hotels. From brands like Temptation and Club Med (and new Marriott brands on the way)
