Tourism trends show growth in Dominican Republic and seasonal decline in Costa Rica

The Dominican Republic has reached a record 8.55 million visitors during the first eight months of the year, marking a 6.9% increase compared to 2025. Tourism Minister David Collado reported that August alone saw 856,858 visitors, a 6.2% growth over the previous year. Of these arrivals, over 6.6 million traveled by air, while approximately 1.9 million arrived via cruise ships.

In contrast, Costa Rica experienced a seasonal decline in August, with visitor numbers dropping by 5% to 189,000 international tourists. Despite this monthly dip, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) noted that total visitation for the first eight months of the year reached 2.2 million, representing a 5% increase compared to the same period last year.

Both nations continue to rely heavily on North American markets. In the Dominican Republic, the United States accounted for 44% of August arrivals. In Costa Rica, North American travelers contributed over 113,000 visitors during the same month.