Dominican Republic breaks record with more than 10 million visitors in 2023

The Dominican Republic is breaking records in tourist arrivals, reporting its ten millionth visitor in 2023, setting what the country’s tourism ministry calls “an unprecedented milestone.”

In a press release, Minister of Tourism for the Dominican Republic, David Collado, said the record-setting number was reached on Dec. 26, 2023.

Collado indicated that the long-awaited figure was reached thanks to the strategic work developed jointly between the public and private sectors, as well as the vision of President Luis Abinader.

According to the figures presented, in an event held at the Punta Cana International Airport, the Dominican Republic managed to exceed 10 million visitors thanks to an arrival of 7,863,542 tourists who arrived by air, plus some 2,168,209 cruise passengers who arrived in the country by sea.

"Reaching 10 million tourists between air and cruise ships is a fact that should fill the entire country with pride, regardless of political flags, since each of these visitors are friends of the country who contribute to development, employment, to the countryside, to construction and to the entire productive apparatus of the country continuing to grow,” stated Collado.

MITUR presented the figures of the economic impact that tourism has had this year in the Dominican Republic, having more than 620 thousand direct jobs and an estimated generation of foreign exchange of more than 11 billion dollars.

The Minister says the Dominican Republic has grown the most in tourist arrivals in the entire Caribbean region from 2019 to date, going from 6.4 million visitors to more than 10 million.

It has also been recognized on several occasions by different international organizations as the number 1 country in terms of post-COVID tourism recovery.

The passenger who marked the number 10 million was celebrated with a symbolic act in terminal B of the Punta Cana airport, with a flight from the U.S., which is the number one destination for tourists to the Dominican Republic.

Tourist Ariana Guilak was received by Collado, businessman Frank Rainieri, among other personalities from the tourism sector.

Simultaneously, activities were carried out to celebrate the 10 million visitors at Las Américas International airport in Santo Domingo, the Cibao International airport in Santiago, as well as at the Amber Cove and Taino Bay cruise ports in Puerto Plata.