How tourism continues to drive Dominican economic growth

Punta Cana – The Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores) is optimistic about the future of this sector since the last year, 2023, it closed as the most dynamic productive activity with 10.7% growth and contributed US$9.7 billion in income.

“Tourism has been in this difficult period the main sector that has driven the growth of the Dominican economy. Last year it closed as the most dynamic productive activity with 10.7% growth and contributed US$9.7 billion in income, an increase of 16% compared to 2022,” stressed the entity’s president, David Llibre, at the opening ceremony of DATE 2024.

He explained that in 2023, the average daily expenditure of international tourists also grew from US$130 to US$153.

He highlighted that tourism also registered a record in foreign direct investment, with US$1,822 million, a 12% growth and representing 27% of the total foreign direct investment registered by the Central Bank of the Republic.

“These figures have an impact, not only on tourism projects and the different actors in the sector, but also on an entire society that in a direct and indirect way benefits from the productive chaining that the sector generates,” he said.

He recalled that the tourism projects announced last year in DATE continue to advance. “Punta Bergantín in Puerto Plata has already signed agreements with four important tourism groups that will begin to develop their hotels once the processes established by the related regulations and laws are concluded.”

In the South, he added, “in Pedernales, the first two hotels are expected to be ready by next winter and the necessary infrastructure works and the preparation of the communities for the productive change that began with the opening of the cruise port of Cabo Rojo, which has already received the first two visits of ships with thousands of passengers.”

In Miches, said the president of Asonahores, “the region close to Punta Cana, the construction of new hotels continues to advance. And in the cruise sector, the cruise port of Santa Bárbara de Samaná is expected to be ready by the end of next season.”

Llibre emphasized that the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) “continues its aggressive promotional strategy, through participation in the different international fairs, the presentation of the Dominican tourism product in the different issuing countries carried out by the Minister of Tourism himself, the support for this DATE event, as well as the stimulation of new air routes for the Dominican Republic.”

For this reason, he emphasized that Asonahores “is attentive and follows the processes of changes that are registered in the different segments of the international tourism market, and participates together with the Government and the Ministry of Tourism in the processes to connect us with the behavior and new trends of the markets.”