# Santo Domingo now grabs 13% of visitors to the DR

Canonical-URL: https://turismo.news/en/digest/santo-domingo-13-percent-visitors
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Language: en
Published: 2026-08-20T12:01:42.370Z
Modified: 2026-08-20T12:01:42.370Z
Author: Joan Sanz
Topics: Destinos
Summary: The Dominican capital scales up its share of national tourism, and deputy minister Martín de Oliva has the numbers to prove it.

## Article

Great news for the capital, and this is not just wishful thinking. **Martín de Oliva, Deputy Minister of Tourism**, has put a number on the table that makes you read twice: **Santo Domingo now captures 13% of all visitors arriving in the Dominican Republic**. [Arecoa](https://www.arecoa.com/destinos/2026/08/20/martin-de-oliva-santo-domingo-ya-capta-el-13-de-los-visitantes-en-rd/) reports it, and that is a share the city has struggled to reach in the past.

This is not a random claim. About three years ago, Oliva recalls, the capital was in a very different position in the national tourism mix. Now the growth is obvious, and the real question is why. Santo Domingo has stopped being just a gateway or a one-night stopover and turned into a destination on its own: hotels, food, culture, an offer that competes with the beach without complexes.

My read is that this 13% is more than a stat. It confirms that Santo Domingo has learned how to sell itself, and that travelers increasingly think of the capital as a place to stay, not just a place to pass through. If the trend holds, the next challenge is occupancy and length of stay. And I see plenty of room to grow. The capital is finally playing in the top tier of Dominican tourism.

## Sources

- Arecoa: https://www.arecoa.com/destinos/2026/08/20/martin-de-oliva-santo-domingo-ya-capta-el-13-de-los-visitantes-en-rd/

## Citation

Santo Domingo now grabs 13% of visitors to the DR. Turismo News. 2026-08-20. https://turismo.news/en/digest/santo-domingo-13-percent-visitors