The Dominican Republic is on pace to have the strongest December in the history of the travel and tourism industry, driven by a surge in air arrivals that are setting new records overall.
And that could pave the way for the highest annual visitor numbers in the country’s history.
Tourism Minister David Collard said the country welcomed 390,000 air arrivals in the first 17 days of December alone, an 11% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This number represents a 60% increase compared to pre-pandemic December 2019.
Mr. Collado shared the latest information during an event in Bayahibe. So authorities have opened a new tourist parking facility designed to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety at one of the destination’s most popular beaches. The new complex has parking spaces for 58 buses, 157 light vehicles and 58 motorcycles, catering to the increasing number of tourists to the La Romana-Bayahibe region.
According to the minister, December is expected to be the strongest tourism month ever recorded in the Dominican Republic, with total air arrivals expected to exceed 900,000 for the first time in a single month.
Cruise tourism also contributes to historic achievements. Collado said more than 400,000 cruise passengers are expected to arrive during December, setting a new monthly record. He emphasized that the Port of La Romana, operated by Central Romana, continues to grow as a major driver of cruise passenger numbers.
Collado said the Ministry of Tourism’s strategy focuses on positioning the country as a global tourism leader through sustained investment, innovation and infrastructure development, with destinations like Bayahibe playing a central role in that growth.
December’s surge capped what was already a record-breaking year for Dominican tourism.
January 2025 opened with a record high of 1,155,484 visitors. This represents an increase of 53 percent compared to 2019 and 8 percent year-over-year. By the end of the first quarter, total arrivals reached 3,348,716, supported by strong demand across both aviation and cruise segments.
This momentum continued until the middle of the year. From January to June, the country recorded more than 6.14 million visitors, the highest number of visitors ever during this period. By August, the cumulative number of arrivals had exceeded 8 million.
In November, the Ministry of Tourism confirmed that 10,284,251 tourists had arrived in the first 11 months of this year, effectively guaranteeing that total arrivals in 2025 would exceed 11 million. This figure is the highest annual total in the country’s history.
