Santo Domingo.- Health tourism has become a “very important” sector in the Dominican Republic’s economy due to its contribution to resource generation, job creation, and technology transfer.

Alejandro Cambiaso, president of the Dominican Association of Health Tourism (ADTS), highlighted the growing influx of tourists seeking health services in the Dominican Republic. Globally, health tourism generates over 100 billion dollars and accounts for 2.5% of airline tickets.

Cambiaso noted that the Dominican Republic leads in medical tourism in the Caribbean, ranks second in Latin America, and holds the 19th position worldwide, according to the Medical Tourism Index.

The main health service centers for tourists are located in Santo Domingo, Santiago, Punta Cana, La Romana, and Puerto Plata. Most patients traveling to the country for health services are Dominicans living abroad, as well as individuals from the Caribbean Islands, the United States, Canada, and Spain.

In 2022, the country welcomed 338,747 health patients, with 292,902 coming for medical tourism and 75,845 for tourist medicine. These health tourists contributed 1,321 million dollars to the Dominican economy, with an average expenditure of 7,500 dollars per tourist, plus their companions, as 70% of health tourists travel with a companion.

Speaking on the program ‘Now’ on Super 7 Matutino, Cambiaso mentioned that the majority of health tourists visit the Dominican Republic for dental care and cosmetic surgery.