The Dominican Republic is on track to reach its goal of 11.5 million visitors for 2024. The Dominican Republic is second only to Mexico in tourist arrivals in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
Dominican tourism continues to break records. A record number of over five million visitors came in the first five months of 2024. Visitors from January to May 2024 were 12% more when compared to the same period in 2023, 49% more than 2022, and 43% more than 2019.
Tourism Minister David Collado shared the statistics during his monthly presentation on the sector’s performance at the Embajador Hotel.
Minister Collado said that in May alone, the country received 677,475 tourists by air, a 9% increase over the same month last year, 27% compared to 2019, and 28% compared to 2019.
He stated the number of cruise passengers is also growing in leaps and bounds. In May alone, the country received 169,260 visitors by sea, for a 24% increase over the same month last year, 194% more than 2022, and 212% more than 2019.
“May was an extraordinary month with the arrival of 846,735 visitors, which represents a 12% increase over May of last year, 45% more than the same month in 2019, and 54% more than 2018,” the official highlighted.
In the first five months of this year, 3,716,262 tourists arrived, a 10% increase over January-May 2023, 24% more than 2019, and 30% more than 2018.
Collado pointed out that from January to May the country received a record 1,310,728 cruise passengers, surpassing those arriving in 2023 by 17%. The five-month arrival number for maritime visitors is 154% more than that for the same period in 2019, and 174% more than in 2018.
Minister Collado stressed that the joint effort with the private sector has paid off, as the number of tourists has increased month after month.
“When one sees figures like the one we have reached in the first five months of this year, one must feel proud as a Dominican: 5,026,990 visitors from January to May is a great number,” Collado expressed.
Most visitors came from the United States (53%), followed by Canada (11%), Colombia (5%), and Argentina (4%).
Read more in Spanish:
Ministry of Tourism
11 June 2024