What’s New in Punta Cana: Flights, Resorts and a Busier Airport

Hi friends, Patricia & Izzy here. Living in Punta Cana means we get a front-row seat to how fast this place keeps growing. Here’s a quick, friendly roundup of what’s new, and what it means for your next trip.

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More visitors than ever

The Dominican Republic keeps breaking its own tourism records. The country welcomed a record 11.67 million visitors in 2025, counting air travelers and cruise passengers together (Ministry of Tourism). The pace has kept climbing since: more than 9.2 million visitors arrived in the first nine months of 2026, up 7.5% on the year before, and the Ministry expects a new annual record (Central de Noticias, Banco Central report). Our tip: popular spots fill up faster in high season. Book golf, dinners and excursions a little earlier than you think you need to.

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Our airport keeps getting better

Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is the country’s busiest. It handled more than 11 million passenger movements in 2025 and hit a record 900 flights in a single week that December (PUJ Airport). The expanded Terminal B added seven new gates with jet bridges, Fast Track and a VIP lounge with a pool (PUJ Airport), and PUJ was named Skytrax’s Best Airport in Central America and the Caribbean (Global Travel Retail Magazine). Our tip: Terminal A is being renovated in phases, and some airlines have moved check-in between terminals. Check with your airline which terminal you leave from before you head to the airport (PUJ Airport). Need a ride from the airport? See our Airport & Arrival guide.

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New nonstop flights

Arajet, the Dominican low-cost airline, keeps adding routes from Punta Cana. Recent additions include Mendoza and Rosario in Argentina (AeroRoutes), the return of Guayaquil, Ecuador (Arajet), and new service to Aruba and Guatemala City (AeroRoutes). Montevideo, Uruguay is next, set to become Arajet’s longest route (Aviacionline). Our tip: more routes means more ways to reach us, and easy add-on trips once you’re here.

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New places to stay

A wave of new resorts has opened around Punta Cana, with more on the way:

• Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort with 467 rooms on the quiet shores of Cabeza de Toro (Hyatt).
• Three new Lopesan resorts in Bávaro (Caoba Lagoon, Serenity Bay and Splash Cove), now welcoming guests and adding more than 1,000 rooms (Lopesan Hotel Group, Ministry of Tourism).
• Moon Palace The Grand, Palace Resorts’ first resort in the Dominican Republic, now open with 2,171 suites (Meetings Today).
• In Cap Cana, Banyan Group is bringing its Angsana brand to the area (Caribbean Journal), and Hyatt plans Zoëtry Marina Cap Cana right on the marina (Caribbean Journal).

Our tip: prefer a villa, condo or something more local? Start with our Stay page, or ask us to do a Boots on the Ground check before you book.

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What it means for you

More flights, more choices and a smoother airport make Punta Cana easier to reach than ever. Our advice stays the same: plan the must-dos early, leave room for slow beach days, and ask locals for the hidden gems. That’s what we’re here for. Questions about your trip? Ask Maya, our Executive AI Concierge, anytime, or get our 24/7 Insider Concierge. See you in paradise, Patricia & Izzy

Header photo: vbif333 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0