Adompretur urges swift approval of solid waste law to safeguard tourism and environment

Santo Domingo.- Sarah Hernández, president-elect of the Dominican Association of Tourism Press (Adompretur), appealed to government and business leaders to resolve differences stalling the Solid Waste Management Bill, a legislation she warned is critical both for environmental protection and the nation’s tourism reputation.

Speaking to reporters, Hernández, a journalist and attorney who will assume Adompretur’s presidency on August 19, stressed that without a clear legal framework to reduce, reuse, recycle and valorize waste, the Dominican Republic risks ecosystem damage, public health crises and loss of visitor confidence. “This is a necessary, urgent law,” she said. “It should not languish over disputes that sensible dialogue and political will can overcome.”

Hernández recounted environmental studies presented in recent seminars showing plastics and other debris choking rivers, mangroves and coral reefs—troubling data that hoteliers and restaurant operators confirmed by revealing millions spent each year cleaning beaches and streets. “With strong legislation, those costs shrink and solutions start at the source,” she noted.

Tourism stakeholders, she added, now evaluate destinations on environmental standards as much as on beaches and resorts. “If the Dominican Republic wants to remain competitive, it must demonstrate serious commitment to sustainability,” Hernández said. “Passing this bill sends exactly that message to travelers.”

Warning of history repeating itself, Hernández cautioned that protracted wrangling in Congress and the executive branch could leave the country without any enforceable waste controls—an error she said “we cannot afford.” Environmentalists, she noted, view the bill as a strategic tool to secure both the natural heritage and the long-term health of the tourism sector.

“This is more than an environmental law,” Hernández concluded. “It is a safeguard for Dominican tourism, a protector of our national image, and a guarantee of viability for generations to come. Failing to approve it due to conflicts of interest would be a mistake beyond measure.”