A British tourist has died in a fire at a resort in the Dominican Republic, prompting the Foreign Office to upgrade its travel advisory for the Caribbean nation. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening at the Hotel Riu Palace in Punta Cana, a popular destination for British holidaymakers. Local authorities confirmed the death of a female tourist, believed to be British, and reported that several other guests suffered minor injuries. The fire, which started in a ground-floor restaurant, was contained within two hours. The cause remains under investigation.
The British Embassy in Santo Domingo is in contact with local officials and has offered consular assistance to the family of the deceased. In response, the Foreign Office revised its travel advice for the Dominican Republic, warning of an increased risk of fire safety deficiencies in tourist accommodations. The advisory now recommends that British nationals familiarise themselves with fire evacuation procedures at their hotels and ensure they have adequate travel insurance.
This incident underscores broader concerns about regulatory oversight in the Dominican tourism sector. Rapid expansion of resort infrastructure has at times outpaced safety enforcement, a pattern observed in other developing economies reliant on mass tourism. The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism stated that it is cooperating with investigators and has pledged to review safety protocols across the industry.
The death marks the latest in a series of high-profile incidents involving British tourists abroad, though such events remain statistically rare. The Foreign Office advises that over 200,000 British nationals visit the Dominican Republic annually, with the majority having trouble-free holidays. Nevertheless, the upgraded advisory signals a shift in the risk assessment, urging heightened vigilance.