Tourism will contribute US$21.1 billion to GDP in 2025

By the end of this year, the tourism sector is expected to contribute approximately US$21.1 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), representing 15.8% of the economy, according to projections from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

According to the Economic Impact Research report, presented yesterday and prepared by the WTTC in collaboration with Oxford Economics, the travel and tourism sector in the Dominican Republic is expected to reach a new all-time high by 2025.

He says this projected growth, with a year-over-year increase of 3.3%, reflects the Dominican Republic’s commitment to solid, sustainable, and resilient tourism development.

In addition to its contribution to GDP, the research indicates that the sector is expected to employ nearly 893,000 workers this year, equivalent to 17.9% of the national workforce.

“It is also expected that by the end of this year, international tourism spending will reach US$11.4 billion, while domestic tourism spending is projected to reach US$4.1 billion, consolidating the importance of the domestic market along with the destination’s global positioning,” he notes.

The research also projects that the sector could contribute more than US$29 billion to the GDP by 2035, with an annual growth rate of 3.3%.

“It is estimated that the sector will employ around 980,000 people, which would mean the creation of more than 87,000 new jobs over the next ten years,” he says.

Meanwhile, he notes that in 2024, the travel and tourism sector contributed $20.5 billion to the country’s GDP, accounting for 16.1% of the national economy.

Last year, international tourism spending reached $11.2 billion, while domestic tourism spending reached $3.9 billion, representing increases of 17.6% and 12.3% compared to 2019, respectively.

In terms of job creation, there were more than 876,000 jobs, approximately 17.6% of total national employment.

Regional data

In 2024, the Caribbean travel and tourism sector is expected to contribute $81.4 billion to the regional economy’s GDP, representing 17.6% of the total and exceeding 2019 levels by more than 28%.

According to the Economic Impact Survey for 2025, the contribution is expected to reach US$86 billion, representing 18.2% of the regional GDP. Furthermore, employment in the sector is expected to exceed 3 million jobs, representing 16.1% of the regional total.