Tourism contributes US$9 billion annually to Dominican economy

Santo Domingo.- The tourism sector contributes US$9 billion annually to the Dominican Republic’s economy through the country’s natural capital—the collection of natural resources and ecosystem services—representing 22% of the nation’s GDP, according to economist Víctor Gómez Valenzuela. He shared these insights during a lecture at Intec University as part of the fourth edition of the Permanent Seminar on Dominican Reality (Semper), supported by a World Bank study he led.

Gómez Valenzuela highlighted that the Dominican Republic has become the sixth-highest performing economy in Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean, largely driven by tourism and growth in other service sectors. Compared regionally, the Dominican economy is about 30% larger than Costa Rica’s, three times Honduras’, four times Nicaragua’s, and six times Haiti’s, positioning the country as a regional economic leader.

He explained that the economy is predominantly service-based, with moderate industrial and manufacturing activity, while agriculture contributes less over time as the economy modernizes. Natural capital provides both use values, such as water, wind, and solar energy, and non-use values, such as aesthetic enjoyment.

Regarding tourism, Gómez Valenzuela noted that 20% of the sector’s production value depends on the country’s natural beauty, particularly its pristine beaches and coastal ecosystems, which attract visitors seeking unspoiled scenic landscapes.