After launching the direct Córdoba–Punta Cana route in December, the Dominican airline Arajet plans to add new non-stop connections from Mendoza (May) and Rosario (June) this year, allowing tourists from the interior to fly to the Caribbean without having to set foot in Buenos Aires. According to INDEC, throughout 2025, about 11.8 million Argentines left the country (an increase of over 42% year-on-year), and the Dominican Republic managed to capitalize on that mass of tourists more than other historical competitors in the region. "We see a sustained trend that positions Argentina as the main issuing market in South America towards our country. Driven by greater air connectivity and the exchange rate lag, the Dominican Republic experienced a historic 62.3% growth in the arrival of Argentines during 2025, consolidating the country as the third issuing market worldwide to that destination, only behind the United States and Canada. As Noticias Argentinas learned based on official data from the Dominican Ministry of Tourism, a total of 442,088 Argentines landed on the Caribbean island last year. The improvement in air connectivity and the diversity of proposals largely explain this jump," stated Rhina Olivares, director of the Dominican Republic's Tourism Office in Argentina. Traveler Profile and Favorite Destinations The survey revealed clear snapshots of how Argentines travel to the Caribbean: Company and stay: 57% travel as a family, and the average stay reaches 9 days. Modality: 54% organized their trip on their own, while 53% opted for all-inclusive flight and hotel packages. The chosen beaches: Punta Cana remains the undisputed jewel, capturing 90% of Argentine visits. In 2025, Argentina surpassed 200,000 annual seats with direct connection through Aerolíneas Argentinas and Arajet, to which are added the nearly 700,000 seats that Copa Airlines contributes with a stopover in Panama. The key data for 2026 is the federalization of routes. This represents almost 170,000 more tourists compared to the 272,450 who had traveled in 2024. BUENOS AIRES, Feb 15 (NA) -- The boom in outbound tourism recorded during the last year brought a big surprise in the preferences of national travelers when looking for paradisiacal beaches. Furthermore, the trend is not stopping: January 2026 already showed an increase close to 10% year-on-year. This jump occurs in a macroeconomic context that favored trips abroad. However, Miches, an area in full development driven by sustainable tourism and new luxury resorts, began to gain strong prominence. Activities: The excursion to Isla Saona (72%) and snorkeling (16%) lead the preference ranking. The war in the skies: more flights and without passing through Ezeiza The air market to the Caribbean has become highly competitive. They are followed by Samaná, Puerto Plata, and Bayahíbe.
