Statistics of the Tourism Sector

Tourism has been one of the main economic activities of the Dominican Republic for many years, generating millions of dollars per year in revenue and, in addition, being one of the most important sources of direct and indirect jobs in the country.

The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD for its acronym in Spanish) frequently publishes the tourism statistical indicators, including the arrivals of foreign and non-resident visitors to the country, the tourists average daily expenditure, the duration of their stay in the country and the type of method of transportation used to arrive (air, sea or land), among others.

On the other hand, the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of the Dominican Republic (ASONAHORES) also generates and publishes statistical bulletins on the sector, including the number of existing establishments and hotel occupancy rates, among others.

Did you know? That the tourist destination of Punta Cana registers the highest level of arrivals of foreign visitors to the country (nearly 70% of the total) by air (Punta Cana International Airport, PUJ), projecting itself as the leading airport in the number of travelers arriving by air in the Dominican Republic. The second most important airport, according to the number of arrivals, is the José Francisco Peña Gómez International Airport of the Americas (SDQ).

Source: Prepared by the authors, with statistics from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic and ASONAHORES.

Did you know? North America is the most important visitors market for the country, with a share of almost 60% of the total visits to the country.  Europe is the second most popular market.

At the country level, historically, the United States has led the international arrivals to the country, followed by Canada. These countries have shown a positive trend in recent years, but the growth that has been recorded from the South American market should be noted. As for Europe, Germany, Spain, England and Italy, they lead the list of countries from where the largest numbers of tourists arrive in the Dominican Republic.

Did you know?  According to the information compiled by the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, approximately 95% of the tourists that arrive in the country inform that the main reason for their visit was recreation. The average age range of tourists that the country receives is between 21 and 49 years old.

The Dominican Republic is a leader in the Caribbean in terms of tourism, calculated by the number of hotel rooms and the arrival of foreign visitors to the country. Currently the country has an estimated 70,000 hotel rooms nationwide. La Altagracia province (in the areas of Punta Cana, Bávaro, Macao and Uvero Alto) has the largest inventory of hotel rooms, as well as the largest presence of all-inclusive hotel chains in the country.

Did you know? The average hotel occupancy rate nationwide is 75%. The La Romana-Bayahibe and Punta Cana-Bávaro destinations have the highest levels of hotel occupancy, with 85% (2015).

Tourism is the main generator of foreign currencies in the country. In 2015 alone, foreign currencies reached a record of US$6,153.1 million, with sustained growth in the last 10 years. In addition, in direct and indirect terms, the Dominican hotel industry generates a total of about 255 thousand jobs.