Dominican Tourism Shifts Focus From Arrivals to Visitor Spending

The Dominican Republic is looking to redefine the next stage of its tourism strategy by placing greater emphasis on how much each visitor contributes to the economy, rather than focusing primarily on increasing arrival numbers.

Tourism Minister David Collado made the case for higher hotel rates and increased tourist spending during the 2026 Asonahores Trade Show in Punta Cana, arguing that the industry’s continued expansion should generate greater income and opportunities for Dominicans.

“We need to increase hotel rates. Tourist spending needs to be much higher,” Collado said during the event. He also stressed that the benefits of tourism should reach the Dominican population more directly, saying that what is good for tourism and tourists must ultimately be better for Dominicans.

A New Measure of Tourism Growth

Collado’s comments signal a shift in emphasis after several years of strong growth in visitor arrivals. The Dominican Republic received 11.7 million visitors in 2025, and the government has continued to highlight expanding demand from international markets as a major strength of the sector.

At the Asonahores event, however, the minister argued that the next challenge is to increase the economic value generated by those visitors. Higher hotel rates and greater spending during a stay would allow tourism growth to produce more revenue without relying exclusively on continually increasing the number of arrivals.

For international travelers, the approach could translate into a greater focus on higher-value tourism and experiences that encourage visitors to spend beyond accommodation. The statement does not announce a mandatory increase in hotel prices, but instead outlines a strategic objective for the sector.

Planning Becomes a Bigger Part of Tourism Growth

The strategy also includes sustainability and territorial planning, particularly in destinations where tourism and urban development have expanded rapidly.

Collado identified Bávaro-Punta Cana, Samaná, Puerto Plata, La Romana and Bayahíbe as areas where stronger planning will be necessary. These destinations represent some of the country’s most established and internationally recognized tourism markets, making the management of future development increasingly important as demand continues to grow.

For travelers, better territorial planning can shape how destinations evolve, including the relationship between hotels, urban areas and the wider infrastructure supporting tourism. Collado’s remarks place that planning alongside profitability and sustainability rather than treating visitor growth as an objective on its own.

Tourism’s Economic Impact Beyond Hotels

The discussion comes as the tourism industry seeks to strengthen its connections with the broader Dominican economy. Asonahores, the Dominican Association of Hotels and Tourism, has highlighted the industry’s demand for locally produced goods and services, linking tourism activity with suppliers and businesses across the country.

That broader economic connection is central to Collado’s argument. His objective is for additional hotel rooms, investments and visitor spending to generate more opportunities for Dominican businesses and workers rather than measuring success solely through occupancy or arrival figures.

The 2026 Asonahores trade show, held at BlueMall Punta Cana, brought together hundreds of tourism-related businesses and suppliers. The event illustrates the extensive commercial network surrounding the country’s hotel industry, from food and beverages to technology, financial services, equipment and energy solutions.

Collado’s proposal therefore places higher visitor spending, hotel profitability, sustainability and territorial planning at the center of the next phase of Dominican tourism. For a country whose tourism sector continues to expand, the emerging challenge is not simply attracting more travelers, but ensuring that additional tourism value is retained and distributed more broadly within the Dominican economy.