ITA Airways to connect Rome and Santo Domingo from November 30

ITA Airways will launch a direct flight between Rome and Santo Domingo on November 30, 2026. Italy's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Sergio Maffettone, confirmed the route at an event where scholarships were also announced to train 20 Politur officers in Italian, stationed in the Colonial City, Boca Chica, Juan Dolio, Bayahibe and La Romana. The service adds to the connections Italy already has with Punta Cana, La Romana and Milan, as Dominican Today reports.

The number that matters for the industry is the flow: around 100,000 Italian tourists visit the country each year, a figure Maffettone expects to keep growing. Italy is a high-value source market, with long stays and above-average European spending, and until now its air access relied largely on routes landing in the east. The Santo Domingo flight opens the door to a different profile: the traveler who wants the capital, the Colonial City and then heads down to Bayahibe or La Romana. For hotels in the capital and the southeast coast, it is a chance to capture nights that previously stayed in Punta Cana or never arrived.

Training Politur officers in Italian at destinations with a strong Italian presence is no small detail. The Tourist Police is the first face many visitors see, and being able to help them in their own language changes the perception of safety and service. It is a small investment with a direct return in destination reputation.

The take is clear: European connectivity is diversifying toward Santo Domingo, and that benefits the country as a whole. Watch how ITA Airways' load factor evolves in the first months and whether the route pulls other airlines toward the capital hub. That is the real gauge of whether the flight becomes a market lever or stays a token connection.