DATE 2026 concludes with record participation and more than 8,000 business appointments

After three consecutive days of intense sessions, the Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE) 2026 concluded this Friday, solidifying itself as one of the most important events in the tourism sector in the Caribbean.

The meeting, organized by the Hotels and Tourism Association of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores) with the support of the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, brought together more than 200 companies from more than 20 countries, reaffirming its position as the main tourism marketing stage in the country. During the three days of the fair, held at the Barceló Bávaro Convention Center, more than 8,000 business meetings were held between hotels, theme parks, tour operators and international travel agencies, in a dynamic focused exclusively on industry professionals. Asonahores Executive Vice President, Angie Lendor, highlighted that this edition has had one of the greatest international representations, with key markets such as Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, France, and Germany.

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Unlike other events, DATE is characterized by being a closed business platform, where participants attend with pre-coordinated agendas to finalize commercial agreements, which guarantees a high level of effectiveness in negotiations.

This edition surpassed the results of the previous year, demonstrating the sustained growth of the fair and the increasing international interest in the Dominican Republic destination. During the event, strategic topics such as productive chaining were also addressed, with the integration of local artisans into the tourist offer, as well as sustainability, highlighting measures such as the reduction of foam use, water reuse, and the promotion of composting practices to reduce food waste. Likewise, the sector raised the need to review the legislation on solid waste, proposing a more equitable model based on the amount of waste generated and strengthening initiatives such as the food bank to optimize the use of resources. With these results, DATE 2026 closes by reaffirming the Dominican Republic’s leadership in the regional tourism industry and paving the way for more sustainable, inclusive, and competitive development.