Some 11 years ago there was a hot air balloon excursion trip for tourists that used to run out of Puerto Plata. Guests would be picked up from their hotels at 06.30, be in place to 'fill' the balloon by 07.00 & the balloon would ascend at 07.30 latest. Winds were light (generally) at that hour & a flight of 30 minutes to max of one hour COULD be accomplished.
I do not know if archives of the old "Puerto Plata News" (part of the printed Santo Domingo News which was the predecessor of THIS webpage), but an article WAS written by one Ginnie Bedggood who took the trip one Sunday & wrote on the experience!!
Sorry, back to you question ........ YES, pilots licence WAS required, plus numerous bits of additional paperwork for a balloon flight only obtainable from a, or x, or y in various governmental departments & each requiring a few hundred pesos for filing the uncommon paperwork!! I can also advise that Puerto Plata air traffic controllers get quite animated if they do not flight plans & then see a blip of a balloon on their scanners!!! GREAT fun !! ~ Grahame.