SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (September 2, 2025) – The Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism has signed a landmark strategic agreement with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), reinforcing the nation’s standing as a leading Caribbean destination and advancing its role on the global cruise industry stage. The agreement was signed on August 5 by Dominican Republic Minister of Tourism David Collado and FCCA President Adam Ceserano, with Dominican President Luis Abinader serving as a witness. With this partnership, the Dominican Republic became one of only five destinations to hold a presidential-level relationship with the FCCA and the first country to join this exclusive group in several years.
“This agreement marks a pivotal moment in the history of Dominican tourism and our cruise sector,” said Collado. “Last year, we welcomed more than 2.6 million maritime passengers, and this alliance ensures that growth will accelerate in the years to come. We look forward to working alongside our commercial partners to capitalize on the immense opportunities this partnership creates for our people and our economy.”
President Abinader highlighted cruise tourism’s sustained growth, declaring it is “at its best moment.” He also announced plans for the development of two additional cruise terminals to further expand capacity.
This agreement underscores a shared vision to increasingly position cruise tourism as a driver of economic development, employment, international competitiveness and territorial cohesion.
Key benefits of the strategic alliance include:
- High-Level Strategic Planning: Direct engagement with senior cruise line executives to develop new itineraries, local sourcing opportunities and tourism products.
- Commitment to Excellence: Technical evaluation visits by cruise line executives to continuously enhance the passenger experience at Dominican ports.
- Workforce Development: Implementation of a national strategy to integrate Dominican talent into the cruise industry and provide priority access to training through the Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence.
- Global Promotion & Events: The Dominican Republic will host the prestigious FCCA Platinum Member Conference in 2026, bringing key industry decision-makers to the country. It will also be prominently featured in international promotional campaigns and have a strong presence at international events such as Seatrade Cruise Global 2026.
Cruise arrivals to the Dominican Republic have had a significant increase. Comparing the first seven months of 2025, this number has grown 177% vs 2019, 29% vs 2023 and 7.6% vs 2024. The country has operational ports in Santo Domingo, La Romana, Samaná, Puerto Plata, Pedernales and Barahona. To meet rising demand, larger terminals are under construction in Barahona and Samaná.
For the 2025-26 winter season, operational agreements have also been formalized with major cruise lines from Norwegian Cruiseline in La Romana to Costa Cruises at Sansouci Port in Santo Domingo. MSC Cruises is scheduled to launch year-round homeport service from La Romana beginning in November 2026. A national training program is also planned to prepare 1,250 strategic members within the cruise industry at ports in Santo Domingo, Pedernales, Samaná, La Romana and Puerto Plata to improve service quality, visitor care and operational efficiency.
The agreement positions the Dominican Republic as a regional leader in cruise tourism, advancing economic opportunity while showcasing the country’s growing role on the global stage. For more information, visit godominicanrepublic.com and follow along on Instagram at @GoDomRep.
