Air France will resume direct Paris–Punta Cana flights in November, as the Dominican Republic continues expanding its European tourism market after welcoming 132,747 visitors from France in 2025.
The Dominican Republic participated in the IFTM Top Resa tourism trade show in Paris with a delegation led by Tourism Minister David Collado and more than 21 co-exhibitors, including hotel groups, airlines, tour operators, and service companies connected to the sector.
The trade show, considered one of the leading professional tourism events in Europe, brought together buyers, travel agencies, airlines, hoteliers, and representatives from international destinations for two days of networking and negotiations, focused on securing agreements for upcoming travel seasons.
The Dominican agenda centered on meetings with tour operators, travel agencies, and other European partners, with the goal of attracting more visitors and expanding air connectivity with different destinations across the country.
France Remains a Key Tourism Market
France continued to play an important role as a source market for Dominican tourism. In 2025, the Dominican Republic welcomed 132,747 tourists residing in France. Between January and August 2026, arrivals reached 112,056, representing a 14.3% increase compared with the same period the previous year and an additional 14,039 travelers.
With these results, France ranked as the Dominican Republic’s ninth-largest source market during the first eight months of 2026.
Air France to Resume Direct Paris–Punta Cana Route
Air connectivity was among the key topics of the Dominican Republic’s participation at Top Resa. Air Caraïbes continued operating flights to Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, and Samaná airports.
Air France, meanwhile, announced plans to resume its direct Paris-Charles de Gaulle–Punta Cana route on November 30, 2026, with three weekly frequencies.
On the same day, ITA Airways was set to begin operating its Rome Fiumicino–Santo Domingo route. The Italian airline would initially offer one weekly flight before increasing service to two flights per week starting in mid-December, marking the carrier’s entry into the Caribbean market.
Dominican Republic Participation
Dominican co-exhibitors included Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, Catalonia Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt, Karisma Hotels & Resorts, Meliá Hotels International, Moon Palace, Alltra, Viva Resorts by Wyndham, Zemi Miches, Aerodom, Air Europa, SKYhigh Dominicana, and Amhsa Marina.
Beyond the commercial meetings, the Dominican pavilion showcased larimar and amber, highlighting products connected to the country’s craftsmanship and cultural heritage. Visitors were also invited to enjoy tastings of Dominican dishes and local products, including goat, chenchén, shrimp from Sánchez, coconut, tropical fruits, and buche de perico.
The country’s participation also featured performances of merengue and bachata, bringing an additional element of Dominican culture to the event.
Top Resa provided an important platform for promoting the Dominican Republic’s tourism offering in Europe while advancing discussions with airlines, hotel groups, and tour operators around new routes and commercial agreements.
Source: www.diariolibre.com
