Guest of honour at the 2025 edition of the IFTM, the Dominican Republic has established itself over the last three decades as the Caribbean's leading seaside destination, attracting more than 10 million international visitors last year, including 142,500 from France. A successful cocktail combining sunshine, heavenly beaches and all-inclusive hotels offering good value for money. This success in the leisure segment has now been extended to the MICE market, as the country has much more to offer than its beach and coconut tree image. The country has much more to offer than its beach and coconuts image, with a wealth of programmes combining the beach with culture, well-being, gastronomy, ecotourism, nature and adventure. For a wilder, more authentic discovery of the destination, there are emerging areas such as Puerto Plata and the Samana peninsula.
A wide choice of hotels
The Dominican Republic's main asset for MICE is its all-inclusive resorts, those located in the Bayahibe and Punta Cana regionsrenowned for the beauty of their white sandy beaches. Suitable for large groups, these hotels boast hundreds of rooms, a plethora of themed restaurants and swimming pools and, in some cases, state-of-the-art meeting rooms and conference facilities. The major international channels are widely represented on this southern coast, from Westin to Hyatt, from Hilton to Melia, via Wyndham, Riu, Club Med and Barcelo. However, the country also boasts a number of smaller establishments, with hotels in old colonial palaces in Santo Domingo and ecolodges inland, offering a more responsible approach, cultural immersion and nature-based activities.
An unmissable trio of excursions
While its reputation is built on its beaches with their turquoise waters, the "Dominican Republic" offers a wide choice of excursions. A visit to the colonial quarter of the capital, Santo Domingo, is a must. The historic heart of old HispaniolaIt houses the oldest buildings in the West Indies, including the Alcazar de Colomb, the palace of the great navigator's younger brother, Bartolomeo Columbus. This former seat of the Spanish Crown in the Americas, now a museum, opens its doors wide to companies for exclusive evening events. After the colourful houses of the XVIe In the 19th century, guides can immerse visitors in contemporary Santo Domingo, in the neighbourhoods of Villa Mella and Gualey. Two cable car lines built by the French company Poma also allow visitors to get a bird's eye view of this teeming capital of over three million inhabitants.
A trip by catamaran or speedboat from the port of Bayahibe to the island of Saona is often the second visit in an incentive package. Groups are invited to spend 3 or 4 hours there. time for lunch and a swim on some of the well-equipped beaches in the Parque Nacional del Este. The village of Altos de Chavon, built in the 1980s on the heights of the River Chavon near La Romana, is also often on the agenda for its large-capacity restaurants, bars and boutiques. Built in the Hispano-Italian style of the XVIe With its cobbled streets, stone houses, church, squares and refreshing fountains, the town resembles a film set. Regularly used for concerts, its 5,000-seat amphitheatre can be made private for large-scale events.
Discovering a more authentic island
The interior of the country reveals the face of a highly agricultural island whose plantations benefit from the tropical climate. Sugar cane is harvested from December to April, mainly by braceros, Haitian workers who cut the stalks with machetes. The Dominican Republic is then renowned for its tobacco growingdeveloped from the XVIe Today, it produces 210 million cigars a year. Coffee and cocoa are also widely grown on small family farms, and the country has become the world's leading producer of organic cocoa. Near the town of San Francisco de Macoris, the finca La Esmeralda opens its doors to groups to present the stages leading from the cocoa tree and its precious beans to the production of a chocolate bar. The Dominican Republic also offers a whole host of activities In the heart of a magnificent landscape, you can enjoy hiking, tree climbing, deep-sea fishing, kayaking, horse riding, snorkelling and much more. And don't forget golf, with the Punta Cana and Bavaro regions accounting for half of the country's courses.
The growing success of La Samana
Located in the north-east of the Dominican Republic, the Samana peninsula is attracting more and more visitors for its authenticity and the treasures of its vast bay. From January to March, boat trips are available to observe the ballet of hundreds of humpback whales that have migrated to these warm waters to breed or give birth. At the far end of the bay, Los Haitises National Park reveals dozens of karst islets covered in lush vegetation, home to colonies of birds. On land, several caves hide drawings on their walls made by the Taïnos, the first people of the Caribbean island, who were decimated after their discovery in 1492 by Christopher Columbus.
The popularity of Samana has led to a major tourist development with around twenty hotel projects in the pipeline around the town of Miches. Club Med opened its second village in the country there in 2020, and the Wyndham group opened its Viva Miches last January. And the Hyatt group has just inaugurated its new 500-room Dreams Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa!
However, this coast has a number of smaller addresses, and the DMCs recommend discovering Samana more for small MICE groupsThese are trips that focus on encounters with the Dominican people and CSR initiatives. Among the more intimate addresses, the astonishing Paraiso Caño Hondo, with its stone and coral buildings, is a 28-room ecolodge hidden away in the heart of nature. More chic with its 5-star rating, The Bannister Hotel & Yacht Club adjoins the marina in Doncel, a small town on the peninsula. This 31-room hotel, offering 400 m2 for events benefits from its immediate access to the bay as well as its proximity to the El Limon waterfall and Rincon Beach, considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Airline services boosted by the return of Air France
La Dominican Republic will benefit from strong air services this winter, marked by the return of Air France. The airline will be operating three flights a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) between Paris-CDG and Punta Cana from 13 January to 28 March 2026. The route should continue to operate if demand is sufficient. Air Caraïbes gains momentum with up to 7 weekly flights from Paris-Orly to Punta Cana (daily from 12 December), as well as the opening of a Paris-Orly-Samana service with two flights a week (Mondays and Saturdays) and up to three Paris-Orly-Saint Domingue flights. Finally, the Spanish group Euroairlines is positioning itself in the destination by offering two charter flights a week (Friday and Saturday) from Roissy to Punta Cana from 25 November to 26 May 2026. Flights via Madrid are also available with Iberia and Air Europa.
