The entire Dominican Republic reopens on July 1: What you need to know

The island nation of the Dominican Republic reopens for tourism on July 1.

Lucien Echavarria, Director at the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, told the Caribbean Journal that the country would be prepared to welcome international visitors at the beginning of the second half of 2020.

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“Throughout [the COVID-19 pandemic] we have remained in close contact with our tourism partners from operators to hoteliers to agencies,” Echavarria said. “We are ready and we know we are in a position to be among the fastest to recover because we are close and safe.”

Unlike many other destinations, the Dominican Republic will open all regions at once, with all airports reopening to tourists on July 1. “We didn’t want to do this region by region,” Echavarria said. “We didn’t want to do Punta Cana, then Puerto Plata and so on. No, we wanted to open the whole country so we can get back faster.”

Related: Caribbean islands reopening, country by country

Echavarria said that approximately half the country’s hotels would reopen in July, with the remaining properties expected to reopen in November.

Here’s everything you need to know before planning a trip to the Dominican Republic this summer.

Unfortunately, the Dominican Republic’s reopening policy has not been very clear, as has been the case with a number of other countries. Although the nation has announced a reopening date of July 1, the country’s own tourism website has yet to be updated with travel information.

Related: Bermuda is reopening on July 1

We have reached out to the tourism board for specific details on the reopening, but we have not received a response as of this time. Here’s what we have learned thus far.

Upon arrival

The nation’s land, sea and air borders have been closed to outside travelers since the pandemic began. But all of the nation’s airports will resume commercial operations on July 1, including Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), the Dominican Republic’s busiest airport. Punta Cana expects a lot of its inbound traffic from New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and from airlines such as Air Canada Rouge and Frontier.

According to the Caribbean Journal, Echavarria said that all passengers should expect multiple safety precautions at all Dominican Republic airports, including temperature checks upon arrival. Local open hotels are also preparing their own health and safety precautions for incoming guests.

The country implemented both a nightly curfew and mandatory face mask requirements in public during lockdown, although it is not yet known if existing measures, which expire on July 1, will be extended.

How to get there and Where to stay

Airlines

Google Flights shows a number of airlines operating flights to the Dominican Republic in early July. The cheapest flights we found were under $200 round trip in July.

On Spirit between Newark (EWR) and Santo Domingo (SDQ) in early July: 

On COPA between Los Angeles (LAX) and Santo Domingo (SDQ) in late July via Vayama:
Flights to Punta Cana (PUJ) from Atlanta (ATL) begin at $224 round trip, also on Spirit in early July:

If you prefer to stick with legacy U.S. carriers, the lowest fares begin at $315 round trip from Atlanta (ATL) to Punta Cana (PUJ) on American Airlines in late July.

Hotels

Once you get to the Dominican Republic, you’ve got a few options for stays. The adults-only all-inclusive Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana and its family-friendly sister property, the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana, are both available in late July from around $250 per night.

Another top-rated TPG favorite, the all-inclusive Reserve at Paradisus Punta Cana, begins at $283/night before taxes and fees. As always, you can pay for reservations at properties like the Paradisus using a credit card that allows you to “erase” charges on your statement.

Featured photo by Summer Hull/The Points Guy.