This is the sixth year since I started operating in the real estate market in the Dominican Republic. A lot has truly changed during this time. This is evident not only in the expansion of individual towns but also in developers’ approach to clients and the mentality of the local community. Dominicans are increasingly taking care of their immediate surroundings, which translates into less waste, better organization of public spaces, and growing awareness of recycling.
The year 2025 was not as groundbreaking for the Dominican Republic as 2022-2023, which brought a record rebound in tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was another year of stable growth and a string of successes. The country continues to experience economic and tourism development, an increase in the number of tourists compared to the previous year, more cruise ships calling at ports, higher export values, and greater spending by visitors.
What is the tourism situation in the Dominican Republic? Air traffic
According to data from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, 9,882,365 tourists arrived in the Dominican Republic in 2025. This is 362,456 more than the previous year. For a country with just over 11 million inhabitants, this is a very strong result, confirming high tourist demand.
Punta Cana Airport continues to play a major role, having served almost 5.5 million passengers in 2025 alone. This makes it one of the busiest airports in the entire Caribbean and the main gateway to the country. The nationality structure of tourists remains stable. Americans still constitute the largest group – over 2.7 million arrivals. Canadians rank second, with exactly 933,196. North America continues to dominate, and there is no indication of this trend changing in the near future.
As for Poles, 63,064 Polish citizens arrived in the Dominican Republic in 2025. This result is very similar to the years 2023-2024. A clear exception was 2022, when the number of arrivals exceeded 80,000, mainly due to pandemic restrictions in Europe and the fact that the Dominican Republic remained open to tourists at that time. Among European countries, Poland ranks sixth in terms of arrivals. More tourists arrive only from Great Britain, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy.
The increase in traffic from South America is also becoming increasingly evident. Over 1.5 million tourists now arrive from this region annually, with Argentinians and Colombians forming the largest groups. This segment is gaining increasing importance for the entire Dominican tourism industry year after year.
Cruise tourism in the Dominican Republic – growing number of passengers
If we add cruise ship passengers to tourists arriving by plane, the total number of visitors to the Dominican Republic in 2025 rises to 12,698,544 people. Cruise passengers alone numbered 2,816,179. Of course, not all disembark, but nevertheless, cruise tourism is becoming increasingly important for the country’s economy.
Cruise tourism genuinely drives the local economy. It creates jobs, supports small businesses, services, transport, and trade, while also acting as effective advertising for the Dominican Republic in international markets. For many tourists, it is their first contact with the country, often leading to a subsequent return for a longer stay.
The scale of growth is very clear. Since 2013, when detailed data collection began, the number of passengers has increased from 423,910 to almost 3 million annually. The largest jump occurred between 2022 and 2023 – from 1,325,442 to 2,258,941 passengers. This shows how quickly this segment of tourism is developing and its great potential for the coming years.
Tourist spending and state budget revenues
The influx of tourists directly translates into the Dominican Republic’s finances. Visa fees alone, added to airline tickets, brought in nearly $4.3 million USD in 2025. In addition, taxes related to leaving the country contributed over $8.6 million USD to the state budget. This totals approximately $12.9 million USD, and this is without considering the money spent by tourists locally. It looks even better in a broader perspective. Data from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, published in local media, indicates that the average tourist spent about $165 USD per day in 2025. Money was mainly spent on accommodation, gastronomy, transport, optional excursions, and local services.
Hotel and apartment occupancy in the Dominican Republic
The average occupancy rate for accommodation facilities in the Dominican Republic in 2025 was approximately 75% nationwide, but these figures vary significantly depending on the region. In less touristy parts of the country, rates were noticeably lower, ranging from 50-65%. This applies to locations such as Samaná (57.1%), Puerto Plata (60.7%), Santiago (52.8%), and Santo Domingo (53.5%).
The situation on the east coast is completely different. In Punta Cana, the average annual occupancy was 81.6%, and in La Romana, it was as high as 82.4%. For most months, occupancy remained around 80% there. The weakest period was August and September, when rates dropped to as low as 62%. February proved to be the best month – a record 90.4% in La Romana and 92.2% in Punta Cana.
The lowest occupancy in the entire country was recorded in September in the Sosúa / Cabarete region – only 31.4%, and in Puerto Plata, where it was 38.6%. These numbers clearly confirm observations from recent years: the greatest potential for real estate value growth and the best rates of return are found on the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic, where the largest and most stable tourist traffic is concentrated.
New tourist destinations – Miches and Pedernales
For several years, the development of two new tourist regions, Miches and Pedernales, has been observed. In 2025, this process significantly accelerated and for the first time became visible not only on paper but also on the ground. During my last stay in the Dominican Republic, I visited Playa Esmeralda in Miches, where the first large resorts are already operating. These include Viva Miches by Wyndham, Zemi Miches, Secrets Playa Esmeralda, and Dreams Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa. This totals over 2,000 hotel rooms, which is a very solid start for a new destination. Simultaneously, plans were announced for the construction of a shopping center with service premises and large-format markets. The goal is to create new jobs for the local community and provide infrastructure for the growing number of tourists. This is an important signal that the development of Miches is intended to be long-term, not based solely on all-inclusive hotels.
The second strategic project is Pedernales, which is intended to become a real alternative to Punta Cana and a development impulse for the southwestern part of the country. The ProPedernales institution plans to create 12,000 hotel rooms over approximately 10 years. In the first phase, 4,700 rooms are to be built, and the first hotel is scheduled to open by the end of 2026. An important element of this investment is the construction of a new airport, which is expected to begin operations in mid-2026. Already, the first flight offers to this region are appearing at Punta Cana Airport. The cruise port in Cabo Rojo also plays a significant role. In 2024, two ships called there, and in 2025, there were already 19. This is still the beginning of the journey, but the direction of development is clear.
Exports in 2025 – record results and diversification
2025 was another record year for Dominican exports. The total value of foreign sales reached $14.6 billion USD, representing a 13.4% year-on-year increase. This is a clear signal that the country’s economy is developing stably and is increasingly less dependent solely on tourism. Gold remains the main export product, but the export structure is becoming increasingly diversified. ProDominicana reports also highlight tobacco and its derivatives, medical sector products, including ostomy devices, and electronics.
Cocoa beans deserve special attention. In 2025, their export value reached nearly $0.7 billion USD, representing an increase of over $237 million USD compared to the previous year. Cocoa already accounted for almost 5% of total exports, demonstrating the great potential of this sector. Currently, the Dominican Republic exports over 3,000 different products to more than 160 countries worldwide. This is clear evidence that the economy is becoming more resilient, diversified, and less susceptible to fluctuations in individual sectors.
Free trade zones in the Dominican Republic as one of the pillars of export
There are currently over 84 free trade zones operating in the Dominican Republic, housing almost 800 companies. They employ over 200,000 people and are responsible for a significant portion of national exports, particularly in the tobacco, medical, electronics, and textile sectors. The total value of exports generated by free trade zones in 2025 amounted to $7.9 billion USD. This demonstrates the scale of their importance for the entire economy and the financial stability of the country.
This model is beneficial for both sides. The state gains jobs, knowledge transfer, and the development of local competencies, while foreign investors benefit from tax preferences and competitive labor costs. In return, companies are obliged to employ local workers and utilize local resources, which means that free zones genuinely support the economic development of the Dominican Republic, rather than being merely enclaves for external capital.
Foreign investments – stable capital inflow and new companies
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), locally referred to as Inversión Extranjera Directa, remains an important pillar of the Dominican economy. The Dominican Republic attracts over 80% of all FDI flowing into the Caribbean region, clearly demonstrating its competitive advantage over its neighbors.
From January to September 2025, the value of foreign investments exceeded $4 billion USD, and all indications are that the full year will close around $5 billion USD. This represents an increase of approximately 6% compared to the same period last year and confirms the continued confidence of foreign capital in the Dominican market. 2025 also saw dynamic entrepreneurial development with the participation of foreign investors. Approximately 700 new companies with foreign capital commenced operations.
Dominican Republic in 2025 – economic data and the country’s global position
2025 confirmed the good condition of the Dominican economy. The country’s GDP grew by 3%, which is a better result than the average for Central and South America, which stood at 2.4%. Inflation remained at a moderate level of 3.8%, and year-on-year price growth was 5.4%. Budget revenues also looked very good – tax revenues increased by 8.7%, and real estate tax revenues by as much as 9.4%.
Globally, the Dominican Republic holds an exceptionally strong position. It is the most frequently chosen tourist country in Central America and the Caribbean, and the country with the busiest airport in the region. The Dominican Republic is also the largest exporter of cigars in the world and the largest exporter of rum to the USA and Spain. Additionally, it ranks second in the export of automatic circuit breakers up to 1000 V to the American market.
Stable growth and greater market predictability
2025 confirmed that the Dominican Republic has entered a phase of mature and stable growth. Tourism maintains a very strong position thanks to a high number of arrivals, the growing importance of cruise tourism, and solid hotel occupancy rates, especially on the country’s east coast.
At the same time, the diversification of development directions is becoming increasingly evident. Miches and Pedernales have ceased to be projects on paper and have begun to function as new tourist poles. The development of these regions is supported by concrete investments in hotels, road, port, and airport infrastructure, which creates a solid foundation for further growth.
Concurrently, the economy has shown that it does not rely solely on tourism. Record exports, the strong position of free trade zones, and a high level of foreign direct investment build the foundation for the country’s long-term development. This combination of stable tourist demand with growing economic activity makes the Dominican Republic one of the most predictable and promising markets in the region – both for investors and for individuals planning to purchase real estate in the longer term.
