This Caribbean Country Just Smashed Its Own Tourism Record — With 3.7 Million Visitors in Three Months
The Dominican Republic welcomed a record 3.7 million visitors in Q1 2026, a 10.8% jump over last year, with Punta Cana handling more than half of all arrivals.
The Dominican Republic just posted the strongest first quarter in its history, welcoming 3,710,374 visitors between January and March 2026. That's a 10.8% increase over the same period last year and a staggering 64.1% jump compared to pre-pandemic 2019 numbers.
Tourism Minister David Collado announced the milestone on April 14, highlighting that March alone brought in 1,305,866 visitors — a new monthly record. Air arrivals accounted for 953,758 of those, up 16.3% year over year, while cruise passengers added another 352,108.
Punta Cana International Airport continued to dominate, processing 53% of all air arrivals. Santo Domingo's Las Américas airport handled 25%, followed by Cibao in Santiago at 10% and Puerto Plata at 5%.
Where the Visitors Are Coming From
The United States remains the top source market at 45% of March arrivals, followed by Canada at 23%. Argentina, Colombia, Germany, France, the UK, and Spain each contributed between 2% and 5%.
Hotel occupancy across the country exceeded 86% in March, and tourist satisfaction averaged 4.5 out of 5 — numbers that suggest the Dominican Republic's heavy investment in new resort infrastructure is paying off. With mega-projects like the 2,171-room Moon Palace The Grand in Punta Cana set to open later this year, along with three new Lopesan resorts and the upcoming Secrets Macao Beach, the country is betting big that the momentum will only accelerate.
