The first half of 2025 brought 4,513,874 air tourists to the Dominican Republic. This is approximately 1% more than in the same period of 2024. Although the growth appears modest, it marks another year in which more tourists arrive in the Dominican Republic than in the same period of the previous year. From my perspective as a real estate agent, this is very significant information. It demonstrates that the Dominican Republic is steadily developing its tourism sector, which is one of the foundations of the country’s economy.
Dominicans Living Abroad: A Significant Role
Of the 4.5 million visitors, 84.8% are foreign tourists (3,828,375 people), while 15.2% are members of the Dominican diaspora permanently residing outside the country (685,499 people). Although there was a slight decrease among foreigners (by 1,104 people, or 0.03%), the number of visits by Dominicans increased by 6.1% (by 39,883 people). In a way, the Dominican diaspora “saved” the tourism statistics. Without this growing support, the sector would have shown a negative result. However, this does not mean that visiting Dominicans do not contribute to the country’s growing GDP. In addition to visiting their families, they largely utilize the infrastructure just as tourists do.
Main Markets and Upcoming Challenges
It appears that the steady influx of guests from the USA and Canada has weakened somewhat, which certainly affected the number of foreign tourists. In response, the Ministry of Tourism is accelerating promotional activities in Europe, Latin America, and Asia through flight promotion and increasing their frequency, which we recently reported on our social media. The Ministry of Tourism is continuously developing its offering for cruise ship passengers. Although cruise tourists do not use accommodations, they represent an important source of revenue for local ports, restaurants, and shops. Is there cause for concern? Definitely not. Such a slight decrease will not significantly impact rentals and appears to be merely a gentle hesitation that will not even be noticeable by the end of the year.
Impact on the Economy and Real Estate Industry
Strong activity in gastronomy and recreation translated into a 2.6% increase in revenue for the “hotels, apartments, bars, and restaurants” sector (January–June 2025). For the real estate market, this means greater interest in short-term rentals, especially vacation apartments in popular resorts such as Bavaro and Bayahibe. Returns by the Dominican diaspora favor longer stay reservations, creating opportunities to promote investment offers and present properties. According to recent data, the supply of apartments already exceeds the hotel offering, which is increasingly less frequently chosen by tourists.
Outlook for the Second Half of 2025
The second half of 2025 promises further diversification of source markets and development of the cruise ship segment. Growing interest from guests from Europe and Latin America may offset declines from the United States, and cruise passengers, though short-term, will generate additional revenue in port zones. Worth emphasizing is the continuously developing Pedernales region with its already operational port in Cabo Rojo, where cruise ships have been docking for two years. The second half of the year lies ahead. While we may speak of a somewhat weaker season until the end of October, as all years have shown, November and December are among the most frequently chosen months to visit the country. This period will certainly “boost” the final results.
Despite the slowdown in foreign arrivals, the Dominican diaspora ensures a positive tourism balance. Their returns, often associated with family visits and longer stays, significantly support the tourism sector. The country’s authorities are actively diversifying tourism traffic sources, directing promotion toward European, Latin American, and even Asian markets. These actions allow the Dominican Republic to maintain its position as the most frequently visited country in the region and look optimistically toward the second half of the year.
