MIAMI — The Dominican Republic is reinforcing its position as a leading tourism destination in the Americas following the successful staging of its 2026 Trade Show in Miami.
Taking place this week at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the fourth edition of the annual event welcomed more than 1,200 tourism professionals from across Canada, the United States and Latin America, underscoring the destination’s continued focus on strengthening trade relationships and driving business growth.
The one-day event also brought together stakeholders from more than 25 U.S. states, along with partners from key international markets, creating a platform for destination promotion, commercial negotiations and the development of strategic partnerships. More than 100 Dominican co-exhibitors participated, representing a cross-section of the tourism sector including hotels and resorts, tour operators, destination management companies, airlines, theme parks, tourism associations and financial institutions.
David Collado, Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic
“The 2026 Trade Show demonstrates that the Dominican Republic not only leads in visitor arrivals, but also in its ability to generate real business opportunities and sustainable development across the entire tourism value chain,” said David Collado, Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic.
The event featured a packed business agenda, with more than 1,800 pre-scheduled meetings aimed at generating leads, closing deals and expanding opportunities across priority markets. An evening roadshow dinner complemented the daytime programming, offering a more informal setting for networking and relationship building among industry partners.
Beyond business development, the event also highlighted the destination’s cultural identity through a series of interactive experiences. Attendees participated in 30 cultural sessions, including workshops on traditional faceless dolls, tastings of mamajuana, demonstrations of cassava bread and organic cocoa production, as well as live performances of merengue and bachata.
The 2026 Trade Show incorporated a cultural component, offering attendees an immersion into Dominican identity through interactive experiences
The Trade Show also served as a platform for announcing new strategic partnerships aimed at enhancing the destination’s global positioning. These included an agreement with Visa focused on leveraging data and market intelligence to better understand traveller behaviour, and another with the Miami Marlins, which uses baseball as a vehicle to strengthen cultural ties and promote the destination to audiences in the U.S. and Latin America.
Training sessions for travel advisors and tour operators were also part of the program, providing deeper insights into the destination’s key segments, including sun and beach, luxury, sports and cultural tourism, as well as new hotel developments.
The D.R.’s 2026 Trade Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center brought together more than 1,200 industry professionals from Canada, the U.S. and Latin America
The Americas remain the Dominican Republic’s primary source market, accounting for more than 7.4 million visitors. Officials say initiatives such as the Trade Show are critical to maintaining momentum and ensuring sustained growth.
The destination continues to expand its hotel portfolio with upcoming developments from global brands including St. Regis, W Hotels in Punta Cana and Four Seasons, reflecting efforts to meet evolving traveller expectations and elevate the overall tourism offering.
Watch for more coverage from the Dominican Republic Trade Show 2026 in Miami this week in Travelweek Daily, including Travelweek’s interview with Jacqueline Mora, Deputy Technical Minister at the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic (MITUR).
Lead image caption: David Collado, Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic (centre) at the opening of the Dominican Republic’s 2026 Trade Show 2026 in Miami this week
