FEDA promotes agritourism to diversify tourism in the Dominican Republic
The Special Fund for Agricultural Development (FEDA) is promoting agritourism as a way to diversify the Dominican Republic’s tourism offerings, strengthen rural communities, and increase the international reach of Dominican agricultural products.
FEDA Executive Director Hecmilio Arístides Galván Cruz said the country should take advantage of its tourism growth to bring visitors beyond traditional beach destinations and into agricultural areas.
“Agritourism is just beginning,” Galván said during DominiCoco 2026, emphasizing the potential of farms and rural communities to become new tourist attractions while helping promote products such as cocoa, coffee, bananas, pineapples, avocados, and tobacco in international markets.
The strategy is being implemented through the National Program for the Promotion of Agritourism “Sow Progress,” launched in January 2026 in Yaguate, San Cristóbal. The initiative includes farm visits, agricultural trails, gastronomic experiences, local product marketing, and training for producers in hospitality, quality, and value-added production.
Among the projects underway is the Tilamiches Fishermen’s Ecotourism Restaurant in Dajabón, which combines tilapia production, gastronomy, and border tourism. FEDA has also begun construction of the Agroecological Avocado Park in Cambita Garabitos, with an estimated investment of RD$194 million and expected direct benefits for more than 2,200 agricultural producers.
FEDA implements nearly 40 agricultural programs
Galván also highlighted FEDA’s nearly 40 programs and incentives designed for different agricultural sectors and regions. These include support for producers of cocoa, coconut, coffee, and avocado, along with school gardens and initiatives targeting rural women and young entrepreneurs.
Other programs promote family farming in homes, agricultural activities in penitentiary centers, and development projects in remote communities across the country’s mountain ranges and the Sierra de Bahoruco.
The “Consume Our Own” program seeks to increase domestic consumption of locally produced foods and encourage greater use of Dominican agricultural products in gastronomy.
According to Galván, expanding the ways agricultural products are consumed and marketed is essential to strengthening the sector. He stressed that increased domestic demand, combined with agritourism and exports, can help create new opportunities for Dominican farmers and rural communities.
