Tourism Vice Minister highlights challenges in measuring domestic tourism in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.- Vice Minister of Tourism Jacqueline Mora explained that domestic tourism in the Dominican Republic currently shows low hotel occupancy rates around 12%, up from an annual average of 8% and a previous low of 3%. However, exact data on the number of Dominicans participating in domestic tourism remains unclear.

Mora acknowledged the challenge in measuring domestic tourism accurately due to the absence of provincial toll data. The Ministry of Tourism primarily tracks hotel occupancy, which has only been measured for four years, helping estimate the share of local versus international visitors. She noted that during low seasons, most hotel guests are Dominicans.

The vice minister reported a significant increase in Dominican visits to tourist sites, possibly reaching 32%, though these figures are not fully confirmed. She also clarified that visits to protected areas like Saona Island are managed by the Ministry of the Environment, not Tourism.

Efforts are underway to collaborate with telecom companies and credit card providers to better track domestic travel and spending, but challenges remain in verifying whether travelers are tourists or working locally, and whether cards used are issued domestically or internationally.