Tourism in the Dominican Republic is an important sector of the country's economy. More than 10 million tourists visited the Dominican Republic in 2023,[1][2] making it the most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean and putting it in the top 5 overall in the Americas.[3] The industry accounts for 11.6% of the nation's GDP[4] and is a particularly important source of revenue in coastal areas of the country. The nation's tropical climate, white sand beaches, diverse mountainous landscape and colonial history attracts visitors from around the world.[5][6] In 2022, the nation's tourism was named the best-performing nation post-pandemic with over 5% visitors more in comparison to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.[7]
As one of the most geographically diverse nations in the region, the Dominican Republic is home to Pico Duarte, the Caribbean's tallest mountain peak, and Lake Enriquillo, its largest lake and lowest elevation.[8] The earliest cathedral, castle, monastery and fortress built in all of the Americas is located in Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone, an area declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[9][10]
Due to political conflicts and warfare that had been present throughout most of the country's history, tourism was not common in the Dominican Republic until the 1930s. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo's rise to power represented a turning point for this facet of the economy. During the 1940s, the Trujillo government initiated the development of eight government-owned-and-operated resorts in the capital of Ciudad Trujillo (now Santo Domingo) to foster the growth of a tourism industry. The most famous of these developments was the Hotel Jaragua, which gathered international attention for its luxury, alongside the Malecón de Santo Domingo in 1942.[11] Many of the hotels built during this time remain open and include: the Hotel Provincial, which is now a children's hospital; the Hotel la Paz, now known as the Hotel Hispaniola; and the Hotel Comercial in the Colonial Zone, which was the first privately owned hotel in the country.[citation needed]
Hotel development was not limited to the capital. Several provincial capitals were the site of Trujillo's public works projects. These included the Hotel Matún in Santiago de los Caballeros, the Hotel Guarocuya in Barahona, the Hotel Maguana in San Juan de la Maguana, and the Hotel Montaña in Jarabacoa. The building of the Hotel Macori in the San Pedro de Macorís Province was the first development in the eastern end of the country, which has now become the country's main tourist destination.[citation needed]
In 1955, the Fair of Peace and Fraternity of the Free World (Feria de la Paz y Confraternidad del Mundo Libre) was organized in Ciudad Trujillo, to honour the 25th year of Trujillo's rule. The event was intended to attract international visitors and showcase the development of the country's tourism industry, but attendance was below expectations and foreign investments failed to materialize.[citation needed]
In the 1950s, construction of the Las Américas International Airport took place, along with highway systems to connect it to the capital and better accommodate the country's growing number of tourists. The Cuban Revolution and resultant embargo served to redirect American tourists to Ciudad Trujillo as the Latin American tourism destination of choice.[11] Conversely, political instability and social unrest in the wake of the assassination of the Mirabal Sisters in 1960, the assassination of Trujillo in 1961, and the Dominican Civil War of 1965 and subsequent US military occupation, led to a notable decrease in tourism.[citation needed]
In the post-civil war era, the tourism industry of the country saw an upswing through increased government attention and changes in economic policies. In 1971, the Tourist Incentive Law (Law 153) was passed to create the department for the Development of Tourism Infrastructure (INFRATUR). Its aims were to promote infrastructure projects, encourage private investment, and cooperate with the Ministry of Tourism to further grow the tourism industry. By encouraging private investment through low-interest loans, the Dominican Republic underwent two distinct periods of hotel and resort building that increased the number of hotel rooms from 1,134 in 1970 to over 20,000 by 1990.[11] The country also saw the number of tourists increase from 278,000 in 1975 to over one million visitors by 1987, surpassing traditional Caribbean resort locations.[12]
Tourism in the present day
From the 1990s, the Dominican tourism industry has been developed and operated at its fullest, developing more housing complexes, through agreements and foreign advisors. Consequently, the number of hotel rooms in the decade of the 1980s was about 8,562 and the 1990s was 45,000.
In 1997, around 270,830 foreign tourists arrived by sea, of which 156,099 used the ports in Santo Domingo, 5,566 arrived via the port of Puerto Plata, 108,698 disembarked in La Romana, 404 in Samaná and 63 in Boca Chica. This figure compared with those of 1996, it shows that in 1997 the number of foreign visitors who used the waterway increased by over one hundred percent.
In 1996 entered to the country by sea 110.936, an amount that increased to 270,380 cruise passengers. Despite not having any financial incentive for ecotourism, this is in its true splendor. It posed above is confirmed by the annual statistics for visitation to ecotourism businesses and protected areas, which exceed 800,000 people. It quote the following data, for the year 1998: total visitors to ecotourism projects was 930,000.
Increasing competition, for example created by the Asian markets, and a change in the motivation of tourists, now forces authorities managing regions, and tour operators to supplement their offer with new options, not based directly on the sun, sand and sea. Additionally, some Asian markets, for example Thailand, have a very reasonable tax rate for tourist consumption (7%), whereas the Dominican Republic has an extremely high rate (18 to 28%). It has been argued that the Dominican Republic should focus on diversifying its tourism product, so as to prevent elimination from the market by competitors when tourists completely change their preferences by shifting, for example, from 3S to 3E and to focus on industrial and cultural tours such as the road tar mine at la quenera, approximately 10km south of the Haitian boarder.[13]
Visitor statistics
Most visitors arriving to Dominican Republic were from the following areas of residence or countries of nationality:[14]
Note: Air arrivals only, it excludes arrivals by land and sea
The weather in Punta Cana averages between a high of 81°F to 86°F. The average days per month is 11.25. Hours of sunshine can vary from 8 to 10 hours. The seawater temperature will vary from 79°F to 84°F. The weather is nice year-round which attracts vacationers even in wintery months.
Month
High Temp
Low Temp
Rainfall
Days with Rain
Hrs. Sunshine
Temp Seawater
January
81°F
72°F
22 inch
10 days
9 hours
81°F
February
82°F
72°F
15.2 inch
9 days
9 hours
79°F
March
82°F
73°F
19 inch
8 days
9 hours
79°F
April
82°F
73°F
30 inch
8 days
10 hours
81°F
May
84°F
75°F
70 inch
11 days
9 hours
81°F
June
86°F
75°F
60 inch
11 days
9 hours
82°F
July
86°F
77°F
60 inch
13 days
10 hours
82°F
August
86°F
77°F
64 inch
13 days
10 hours
84°F
September
86°F
77°F
67 inch
14 days
9 hours
84°F
October
84°F
75°F
64 inch
15 days
10 hours
84°F
November
84°F
77°F
44 inch
12 days
8 hours
82°F
December
82°F
73°F
25 inch
11 days
8 hours
81°F
Tourism in the 2000s until 2009
The country's tourism has become its primary source of income. The country offers a wide choice of accommodations in the city, in the mountains and in the coastal regions. The Dominican Republic is one of the top vacation places for Europe, the US and Canada, and also South America. This is because the island's rich history and unique culture, and the fact that Dominican people are so welcoming and friendly.
The main areas of tourist activity in the country are the regions of the East, North, Santo Domingo and Barahona, but nevertheless, there has been an increase in the interior, with many tours on foot or by bike through the mountains and fields. In 2001 the Dominican Republic was visited by over two million people and according to the Central Bank, the Dominican tourism industry has generated 2,103 million dollars, exceeding 1,782 million achieved in the previous year.
According to Central Bank figures, more than 2.5 million tourists arrived by air to the country in 2001, a 10.1% increase over the figure given in 2000. 58% of tourists came from European countries, mostly countries like Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and USA, were recorded countries like the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and among others.
Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the Dominican economy, because this makes great contributions to it. The movements of tourists to other parts of the country involving expenditure, especially when is from a nation to another, that is the case of the country; Foreign tourists usually consume in dollars or exchange their currency for the Dominican peso, this generates an injection of dollars into the economy and thus the country can buy the services and products that do not produce. The country had revenues in 2004 of 2.557 million euros.
The Dominican Republic, thanks to its geographical location in the Caribbean, has many areas that are exploited for tourism.[15] This includes its beaches and its scenery.[citation needed] The most exploited provinces in terms of tourism are concerned, after the era of Trujillo, are Puerto Plata, La Romana and La Altagracia, also worth noting that the del Este peninsula, is the country's most important tourist area.[citation needed]
Dominican tourism is an issue that is part of the daily lives of its citizens, because it depends largely on the economic livelihood of the same, and their way of life.
Major tourist destinations in the Dominican Republic
It is the leading province in the country in terms of tourism, among the most important areas are:
Bávaro: This area is located in the east of the Dominican Republic, in the province La Altagracia. According to a report by UNESCO, it recognizes the beaches of Bávaro as the best in the Caribbean Among its more popular activities include aquatic excursions such as snorkeling and catamaran tours on the beaches, as well as its luxury hotels.
Higüey: The city of Higüey is within the tourist destinations in the province, since it is found, the Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia and Sanctuary San Dionisio; also is the fortified residence of its founder, Juan Ponce de León, which is so visited by foreign tourists and communes and more inhabitants of the country.
Punta Cana: This resort area is located in the extreme east of the Dominican Republic, and it is one of the most important places for the realization of tourism in the country. To get to Punta Cana, it can be reached by vehicle through a 179 kilometers long corridor, consisting of sections of the highway of Las Américas, the Eastern Highway, the Ring of San Pedro de Macorís, the stretch San Pedro de Macorís-La Romana, La Romana Beltway and the Autopista del Coral; Similarly one can go via the Las Américas International Airport, or via the Punta Cana International Airport, which is about 2km from the town of Punta Cana.
La Romana: One of the main options for foreign tourists when choosing a destination for their holidays. La Romana has many beaches. To get to La Romana, it can through the La Romana International Airport or Punta Cana Airport. La Romana is the seventh-largest city in the Dominican Republic with a population estimated in 2010 at 130,426 within the city limits (metropolitan population: 214,109), of whom 127,623 are urban and 2,803 are rural. The city is capital of the southeastern province of La Romana, opposite Catalina Island. The name Romana comes from a balance that was used to weigh merchandise for export. Santa Rosa de Lima is the patron saint of La Romana. The modern La Romana International Airport was opened in 2000. The city is near several other cities, such as San Pedro de Macorís and the national capital, Santo Domingo de Guzmán. The city is a hub for a growing tourist industry with several nearby local resort spots, such as the beachfront Bayahibe, Dominicus, Casa de Campo, and the growing number of golf resorts that surround the area.
Altos de Chavón: It is an old-type Mediterranean village built on a height above the Chavón River in Dominican Republic. It is the seat of a Cultural Centre, the National Archaeological Museum, and the called City of the Artists. also has a notable Amphitheater. The Altos de Chavón Amphitheater which has about 5,000 seats. It was opened in 1982.
Saona Island: The Saona Island is considered as one of the most important trips or sightseeing tours of the country[16] It is considered by the visitor as a natural paradise. Saona Island is about 110 kmª, and is the largest of the 13 adjacent islands of the country. This island offers fine white sand beaches, crystal clear waters. One of the biggest attractions is the "Natural Pool", which does not have a meter deep and it can see aquatic species such as coral reefs, marine meadowss, starfish and fish. The main white sand beaches of Isla Saona are located on the southern coast from Punta Catuano to Punta de Cruz except the area between the southern end of the beach of El Gato to Punta Laguna. The most important places of the Saona are the towns and villages of Mano Juan and Catuano; extensive white sand beaches and coral reefs with very clear waters; coconut trees along the coast, the Secucho lagoons, Los Flamencos and Canto de la Playa,[17] the Alto de la Vigía (the highest point of the island); the Banks of Crowned Pigeon, the Mature Timberlands, cultivated areas and the town of Adamanay. Saona island belongs to the Park del Este. Along with los Haitises is the most important in the region and one of the main in the country, constituting the only wooded area of relative extension on the south coast of the eastern region. In this protected natural area are preserved semi-humid forests, coastal lagoons, mangroves, coral reefs, sea grasses. Also caverns with cultural values. Contains impressive archaeological sites like remains of indigenous settlements, ceremonial places perfectly preserved, sites of ceremonial offerings, large rock art and sunken colonial ships.
Catalina Island: This island is a protected natural park where there are not any buildings.
Bayahibe: Bayahibe is also suitable for sharing with family and friends, and is also a common place for golfers and for those who enjoy scuba diving. Bayahibe is the nearest point to take a trip to Catalina Island, Catalinita Island and Saona Island.
San Pedro de Macorís is a municipality (municipio) in the Dominican Republic and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís province in the south-eastern region of the country; it is among the 10 largest cities of the Dominican Republic. The city has approximately 195,000 inhabitants, when including the metro area. As a provincial capital, it houses the Universidad Central del Este university.
Juan Dolio: It is located just a few kilometers from the capital city of Santo Domingo and from San Pedro de Macoris. Juan Dolio is currently among the major tourist areas of the country.
Santo Domingo
The Ozama Fortress is one of the surviving sections of the Walls of Santo Domingo, which is recognized by UNESCO as being the oldest military construction of European origin in the Americas.Boca Chica beach is located close to Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo: Santo Domingo has a main tourist area, the Colonial Zone, as well as historical monuments, of which most were built by the Spaniards who originally colonized the island.
Santiago de los Caballeros or simply Santiago (English: Saint James of the Thirty Knights) is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic, and the fourth-largest city in the Caribbean. It is the capital of the Santiago Province and the major metropolis in the north-central region of the country. Its urban population reaches 550,753 inhabitants, and if rural areas are included its population rises to 691,262.Santiago is located approximately 155km (96mi) northwest of Santo Domingo with an average altitude of 178 meters (584ft). It was traditionally known in English as St. Yago. During the Haitian occupation from 1822 to 1844 it was officially designated as Saint-Yague. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European settlement in the New World, the city is the "first Santiago of the Americas". Today the city is one of the Dominican Republic's cultural, political, industrial, and financial centers. Due to its location in the fertile Cibao Valley it has a robust agricultural sector and is a leading exporter of rum, textiles, and cigars. Santiago is known as "La Ciudad Corazón" (the "Heartland City").
Puerto Plata is officially known as San Felipe de Puerto Plata, is the ninth-largest city in the Dominican Republic, and capital of the province of Puerto Plata. The city is a trading port. Puerto Plata has resorts such as Playa Dorada and Costa Dorada, which are located east of the city proper. There are 100,000 hotel beds in the city. The only aerial tramway in the Caribbean is located in Puerto Plata, in which visitors can ride up to the Pico Isabel de Torres, a 793 meter high mountain within the city. The fortification Fortaleza San Felipe, which was built in the 16th century and served as a prison under Rafael Trujillo's dictatorship, lies close to the port of Puerto Plata. The ambermuseum, is also a well-known attraction in this city. La Isabela, a settlement built by Christopher Columbus, is located near Puerto Plata. In April 1563, the Spanish settlement became notorious when the English slave trader Sir John Hawkins brought 400 people he had abducted from Sierra Leone. Hawkins traded his victims with the Spanish for pearls, hides, sugar and some gold. This was the start of British involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. During the 1822–44 Haitian occupation it was officially designated as Port-de-Plate.
Samana is a small town on the island that is a popular destination for tourists mainly because of whale season. Every year in the spring, many whales arrive in the Samana bay. Tourists come from all over the world to board ships and whale watch. This is a large source of income to a town that otherwise would have an economy mainly driven by fishing.
Puerta del Conde City Gate, one of the remaining preserved sections of the Walls of Santo Domingo, the city is a UNESCO WHS and the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas.
Transport in the Dominican Republic utilizes a system of roads, airports, ports, harbours, and an urban railway.
The Dominican Republic is divided into thirty–one provincias, while the national capital, Santo Domingo, is contained within its own Distrito Nacional.
La Altagracia is the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana is located on the eastern shores of this province. The province was part of the old La Altagracia Province, which split into two, La Altagracia Province and La Romana Province, on February 27, 1961.
María Trinidad Sánchez is a province of the Dominican Republic. It was split from Samaná Province in September 1959 as Julia Molina Province; in November 1961, it got its current name. The name commemorates a distinguished female soldier in the wars of independence. María Trinidad Sánchez was the first woman incarcerated and executed by Pedro Santana, a Dominican annexionist president.
Higüey, or in full Salvaleón de Higüey, is the capital city of the eastern La Altagracia Province, in the Dominican Republic, and the eighth largest city of that country. The Yuma River flows through the urban areas of Higüey.
Punta Cana is a resort town in the easternmost region of the Dominican Republic. It was politically incorporated as the "Verón–Punta Cana township" in 2006, and it is subject to the municipality of Higüey. According to the 2022 census, this township or district had a population of 138,919 inhabitants.
La Romana is a municipality and capital of the southeastern province of La Romana, opposite Catalina Island. It is one of the 10 largest cities in the Dominican Republic with a population estimated in 2010 at 130,426 within the city limits, of whom 127,623 are urban and 2,803 are rural. The name Romana comes from the word "Bomana", a name given by Indians to what is known today as Romana River.
Saona Island is a 110 square kilometer tropical island located off the south-east coast in Dominican Republic's La Altagracia province. It is a government-protected nature reserve and is part of Parque Nacional Cotubanamá.
DR-3 is one of three main dual carriageway highways of the Dominican Republic, connecting Santo Domingo to the eastern cities of the republic. The highway begins at the Plaza de La Bandera, on the western side of Santo Domingo, and travels eastward through downtown Santo Domingo and continues east to Santo Domingo Este. Outside Santo Domingo it runs roughly parallel to the Caribbean Sea toward the eastern cities of the nation. DR-3 creates a rapid connection to the Las Américas International Airport, located only 30 kilometers east of Santo Domingo. DR-3 continues eastward to the beach towns of Andrés and Boca Chica. DR-3 then continues east and slightly north to the eastern cities of San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, and Higüey and has connections to the routes that lead to the resort towns of Bayahibe, Bávaro, and Punta Cana. DR-3 has been part of a long program to improve, expand, and modernize the highways of the Republic. Most of DR-3 has been expanded to two or three lanes of traffic each way.
Aeronaves Dominicanas is an air charter airline established in 1980 with facilities in Samaná El Catey International Airport, and main offices in the La Isabela International Airport, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Señorita República Dominicana 1979 was held on December 20, 1978. There were 28 candidates who competed for the national crown. The winner represented the Dominican Republic at the Miss Universe 1979. The Señorita República Dominicana Mundo entered Miss World 1979.
Reina Nacional de Belleza Miss República Dominicana 2005 was held on February 2, 2004. 18 candidates representing provinces and municipalities entered. The winner would represent the Dominican Republic at Miss International 2005. The first runner up represented the country in Miss Tourism Queen International 2005. The second runner up represented the country in Reina Nacional del Café. The rest of finalist entered different pageants.
Señorita República Dominicana 1956 was held on January 29, 1956. There were 24 candidates who competed for the national crown. The winner represented the Dominican Republic at the Miss Universe 1956. On the top 10 they showed their evening gown so they could go to the top 5. In the top 5 they would answer more questions. This edition would send their first delegate to Miss Universe.
Señorita República Dominicana Mundo 1966 was held on September 30, 1966. There were 26 candidates who competed for the national crown. The winner represented the Dominican Republic at Miss World 1966. The top 10 showed their evening gowns and answered questions to advance to the top 5, where they answered more questions.
Rail transport in the Dominican Republic is provided by one state-owned operator and several private ones, mainly for sugar mills. There are no connections with the neighbouring Haiti.
The Miss República Dominicana 2010 was celebrated on April 17, 2010 at the Teatro La Fiesta, Hotel Jaragua in Santo Domingo.
Miss República Dominicana 2012 was held on April 17, 2012 at the Renaissance Auditorio de Festival del Hotel Jaragua in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Miss Mundo Dominicana 2011 was held September 20, 2011, in Renaissance Auditorio de Festival del Hotel Jaragua, Santo Domingo. The Miss Mundo Dominicana winner represented the Dominican Republic in Miss World 2011, the Miss RD Internacional entered Miss International 2011, Miss Supranational RD entered Miss Supranational 2012, and the Miss Tourism Queen RD entered Miss Tourism Queen International 2011. The first runner up entered the Reinado Internacional del Café 2012. The winner was crowned by Sofinel Báez, Miss International Dominicana 2010.
Cotubanamá National Park is located on the lower southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic, spanning across the provinces of La Altagracia and La Romana with an area of 791.9 sq. kilometers which includes a range of dense humid and dry subtropical forests, mangroves, beaches, and caves.
1 2 3 Sambrook, Richard Alan; Kermath, Brian M.; Thomas, Robert N. (1994). "Tourism Growth Poles Revisited: A Strategy for Regional Economic Development in the Dominican Republic". Yearbook. Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers. 20: 87–96. ISSN1054-3074. JSTOR25765801.
↑ Rettinger, R., Apollo, M. (2017). Enriching tour–operators' offer to go beyond sea, sun and sand: The case of the Dominican Republic. [In:] R. Efe, M. Öztürk (eds.), Contemporary Studies in Environment and Tourism, Chapter: 5 (pp.60-81). Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN978-1-4438-7283-6Source: books.google.com
↑ Cabezas, Amalia L. “Tropical Blues: Tourism and Social Exclusion in the Dominican Republic.” Latin American Perspectives, vol. 35, no. 3, 2008, pp. 21–36. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27648095.|date=January 2019
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