The Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic president Simon Suarez announced that Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, will add pre-clearance operations by 2017.

During the 2016 Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange, Suarez revealed that the United States Customs and Border Protection agency will add Punta Cana to a growing number of cities and countries on the pre-clearance locations list, according to Dominican Today.

The official website of the U.S Customs and Border Protection has four pre-clearance locations currently listed for the Caribbean, including Freeport, Bahamas; Nassau, Bahamas; L.F. Wade International Airport in St. George's, Bermuda; and Aruba.

The U.S Customs and Border Protection also offers pre-clearance locations in Canada, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates.

The addition of pre-clearance for Punta Cana would be a major boost for the tourism industry in the Dominican Republic, as the country's vice minister of tourism Radhames Martinez Aponte revealed at the Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange that 66 percent of all travelers visiting the island nation arrive in Punta Cana.

For more on the U.S Customs and Border Protection’s pre-clearance list, check out the government agency’s official website.

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