The Dominican Republic has achieved a rapid recovery of tourism in the first two years of the government, after having reduced to a minimum with the closing of the borders of the main supply markets due to the pandemic, thanks to the implementation of the “Responsible Recovery Plan of the Tourism Sector,” with which timely protocols were applied in a joint work of the State and the private sector, as well as an aggressive promotion of the country in international markets.
Proof of this has been the positive result that the sector has had since last year, with the increase in tourist arrivals month after month, the recovery of employment, and the generation of foreign exchange, which are critical to the recovery of the Dominican economy.
Entering the year 2021, four months after it was decided to launch the recovery plan, on August 26, 2020, the tourism sector began to have favorable percentage variations.
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The year 2020 ended with the arrival of 2,405,315 tourists, a negative variation at the general level, and doubled that figure in 2021 as the year ended with 4,994,309 visitors.
In the seven months so far in 2022, the sector has almost reached the 2021 arrival figures, with 4,182,207 tourists, so it aims, according to the Ministry of Tourism projections, to close the year with 7 million visits.
Along with the increase in tourist arrivals, the sector has also achieved a recovery in employment, since as of July of this year, tourism has 173,345 employees, positions that have already surpassed all those generated in the sector in the last 12 years. However, in 2020, employment fell to 81,896.
In terms of foreign exchange generated, the sector has contributed US$931 million this year, while last year, tourist arrivals generated US$5,626 million. In December 2021 alone, foreign exchange generated reached US$843 million, according to Central Bank figures.