Sports tourism is “in” around the world, with tourists attracted both by passive and active sports involvement. Passive sports tourism — people traveling to watch matches, races or tournaments, and combining this with more conventional touristic pursuits is on the rise. But also participatory trips are increasingly in demand.
Sports are now seen as a new engine of tourism. The Dominican Republic is riding the crest of the international sports tourism wave at a time when the sector is expected to continue to increase in leaps and bounds. Among the reasons is that women’s sports tourism is on the rise. More women’s sports have a major following, widening the scope of sports tourism around the world.
The capital city is already getting a big boost with the renovation of sports venues in Santo Domingo, the capital city, for the celebration of the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games in 24 July-8 August 2026.
But recently, most of the focus is on Punta Cana. Punta Cana has the hotel rooms, the venues and the global air connections for the presentation of mega sports events.
Just last week, the International Olympic Committee voted almost unanimously to hold their 2027 annual assembly in Punta Cana. The meeting with bring the around 200 presidents of Olympic Committees from around the world to get an introduction to what Punta Cana is all about and why it should be on their minds for future sports events.
This spring Punta Cana has already hosted the ATP Challenge 175 leading tennis event. Coming soon are the Corales Puntacana Championship, a PGA Tour golf event, (17 to 20 April 2025) and the Cap Cana Iron Man 70.3, a leading triathlon (2 May 2025).
Tourism companies are investing heavily in resorts and hotels that cater to sports activities. For instance, just recently tennis legend Rafael Nadal announced the construction of his Tennis Center in Punta Cana adjacent to the sports-oriented Zel brand that he recently opened in Punta Cana
The big plus of these sports venues is their closeness to the Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) with around 400 flights giving direct access to hundreds of airports, making the events easily accessible to athletes from all around the world. And the availability of thousands of hotel rooms in resorts that offer multiple attractions to families coming with the sports people, make Punta Cana events a no-brainer.
National Geographic highlights the growth of sports tourism worldwide. “It’s this seductive symbiosis that forms the foundation of what — in the intervening years — has grown to become one of the most profitable and influential sectors of the global travel industry,” reads a recent report in the global publication. National Geographic explains that sports tourism is today worth more than £500 billion and accounts for 10% of the total tourism market, according to Madrid-based United Nations agency UN Tourism.
The UN Tourism forecasts sports tourism to continue to accelerate over the coming decade, with some projections suggesting a quadrupling of the sector by 2033 to £2.25 trillion.
National Geographic explains that numerous economic and societal factors are fueling the development of sports tourism. The sports events today are bigger, and better promoted increasingly active, health-conscious populations supporting and participating in sports. National Geographic says that the primary driving force is something the sporting world understands only too well: success breeds success.
The Dominican Republic has two aces in the game of attracting sports tourism. While Punta Cana is the leading Dominican tourism destination, Santo Domingo is not far behind. The city is also well connected through its Las Americas International Airport and features the attractions of its historic Colonial City. The city also boasts the best gastronomy in the Caribbean and great shopping.
The Dominican government is investing billions to bring the city’s sports installations up to the top of international standards.
The 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games venues will be concentrated in the Mirador del Este sports installation in eastern Santo Domingo host of the 2003 Pan Am Games and the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in the capital city, built originally to host the 1974 Central American Sports Games. Likewise, football games will be played in Santiago, Moca and La Vega in the central part of the country, less than two hours from the capital city. The Dominican Republic already hosted a FIFA U-17 world cup in November 2024.
Read more:
DR1 News IOC assembly
National Geographic
DR1 News – Ironman Cap Cana
PGA Tour
Central American and Caribbean Games Instagram
FIFA World Cup
25 March 2025