The Dominican Republic is on track to have the best December in the history of its travel and tourism industry, thanks to a sharp increase in air arrivals that is setting new records across the board.

And that could pave the way for a record number of annual visitors in the country's history.

The Minister of Tourism,  David Collado,  stated that the country had welcomed 390,000 air arrivals during the first 17 days of December alone, an increase of 11 % compared to the same period in 2024. This figure represents a 60 % increase compared to December 2019, before the pandemic.

Collado presented this information at an event in Bayahíbe, where authorities inaugurated a new visitor parking lot. The parking lot is intended to ease traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety on one of the region’s busiest beaches. It includes 58 spaces for buses, 157 for passenger vehicles, and 58 for motorcycles, in order to accommodate the growing influx of visitors to the La Romana–Bayahíbe area.

According to the minister, December is on track to become the busiest month for tourism ever recorded in  Dominican Republic , with the total number of air arrivals expected to exceed 900,000 for the first time in a single month.

Cruise tourism is also contributing to these historic results. According to Mr. Collado, more than 400,000 cruise passengers are expected in December, setting a new monthly record. He highlighted the crucial role played by the continued growth of the Port of La Romana, operated by Central Romana, in the increase in the number of cruise passengers.

Collado stated that the Ministry of Tourism’s strategy aims to position the country as a global leader in tourism through sustained investment, innovation, and infrastructure development, with destinations such as Bayahíbe playing a central role in this growth.

This sharp increase in December caps off an already record-breaking year for Dominican tourism.

January 2025 began with a record-breaking 1,155,484 visitors, representing a 53 % increase compared to 2019 and an 8 % increase year-over-year. At the end of the first quarter, the total number of arrivals reached 3,348,716, driven by strong demand for both air travel and cruises.

This trend continued through the middle of the year. From January through June, the country welcomed more than 6.14 million visitors, a record for that period. In August, the cumulative number of arrivals exceeded eight million.

In November, the Ministry of Tourism confirmed that 10,284,251 visitors had arrived during the first eleven months of the year, which virtually guarantees that the total number of arrivals for 2025 will exceed eleven million. This figure would set a new annual record for the country.