Story perspectives

Dominican Officials Issue Emergency Passports After Resort Fire

6/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

Dominican officials are issuing emergency passports to tourists whose documents were destroyed in the fire.
The fire at Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach resort in Bayahibe destroyed the resort, killed one Italian tourist and forced evacuation of 1,700 guests, with wind and thatched roofs speeding its spread.
The Italian embassy is assisting roughly 285 tourists and has relocated guests to nearby hotels in Punta Cana and Bayahibe while tourism remained unchanged.

History

Historical Context

In October 2005 Hurricane Wilma devastated the Yucatán’s tourism hub, destroying 98 % of hotels and inflicting about $4.8 billion MXN in damage. The 2024 fire at Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach, which left roughly 285 tourists stranded and required emergency passports from the Italian embassy, revives the region’s long-standing need for rapid diplomatic and resilience planning.

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Story summary

Dominican officials are issuing emergency passports to tourists whose documents were destroyed in the fire.
The fire at Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach resort in Bayahibe destroyed the resort, killed one Italian tourist and forced evacuation of 1,700 guests, with wind and thatched roofs speeding its spread.
The Italian embassy is assisting roughly 285 tourists and has relocated guests to nearby hotels in Punta Cana and Bayahibe while tourism remained unchanged.

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