Abinader highlights tourism as key job generator

Punta Cana.- President Luis Abinader highlighted tourism as the Dominican Republic’s “main industry,” supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. He noted that over 11 million visitors in 2024 are expected to sustain 750,000 direct jobs and more than 870,000 indirect jobs, making tourism one of the region’s largest generators of employment opportunities.

Abinader also praised the growing participation of women in the tourism sector, free trade zones, and the digital economy, stressing the importance of policies that promote equality.

However, he warned that informal employment, which accounts for 54% of the workforce, remains a major challenge, along with youth unemployment and the lack of migrant rights. Speaking at the XX American Regional Meeting of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Punta Cana, the president called for a regional shift toward a model where work ensures dignity, justice, and shared prosperity.