Dominican Republic Reopening to International Tourism on July 1

The Dominican Republic will reopen to international tourism on July 1, officials announced during a webinar on Tuesday.

Minister of Tourism Francisco Javier García and health and tourism officials were confident that the country will be able to reopen its borders safely to international visitors in three weeks’ time.

“The general approach in the D.R. is to create national policies – not do it territorial – but then allow local efforts to polish the subsequent moves. So July 1 is likely the opening, and then the strengthening of protocols will be dependent on local behaviors,” said Dr. Amado Alejandro Baez, executive director for the Dominican Presidential Committee for COVID Response.

The country, which reported more than 20,000 confirmed cases and over 500 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, entered Phase 2 of its “de-escalation process” on June 3.

Opening the borders to international travelers will mark Phase 4, which also includes the reopening of hotels, airports, gyms, and restaurants.

Punta Cana Airport recently announced that it has already confirmed the arrival of 10 flights by July 1, when it resumes operations.

The destination’s official health and safety protocols for hotels, which are currently being reviewed by the Ministry of Tourism, are scheduled to be approved by the end of this week. Once approved, they’ll be posted on the Ministry of Tourism’s website.

Officials cautioned that not all hotels will open their doors by the July 1.