Dominican hotels strengthen focus on meeting tourism

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic is advancing plans to build a convention center at the site of the former Hotel Hispaniola in Santo Domingo, allocating RD$1,200 million for land acquisition. While legal disputes over the property persist, the project aims to enhance hotel occupancy by 7%. Meanwhile, existing hotel chains are expanding their facilities to capture the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) market.

The Ministry of Tourism highlights that the country already boasts seven convention centers, 425 meeting rooms, and 88 hotels with event spaces capable of hosting 12,330 attendees. Punta Cana leads the sector with 191 meeting rooms in 87 hotels, accommodating up to 60,000 people. Other major MICE hubs include Santo Domingo, La Romana, and Samaná, which collectively offer venues for corporate events and social gatherings. Notably, the Grand Palladium Punta Cana recently opened a convention center for up to 700 guests, blending work-focused facilities with recreational experiences.

From January to October 2024, 140,423 visitors cited business and conferences as their travel purpose, representing 25.5% of non-resident stays. The Dominican Republic’s MICE segment recorded 2,086 events, 161,671 reservations, and 28,418 occupied hotel rooms during the same period. With a US$4,567 million investment planned for infrastructure development across 10 provinces, including 27,309 new hotel rooms, the country is positioning itself as a premier MICE destination in the region.