Abinader: Tourism sector generates more than 750,000 direct jobs

President Luis Abinader highlighted tourism as the country’s “main industry” and the jobs it generates: “More than 11 million visitors in 2024 will support 750,000 direct jobs and more than 870,000 indirect jobs, a figure that makes the sector one of the largest generators of opportunities in the region.”

She acknowledged the growth in female labor force participation not only in the tourism sector, but also in free trade zones and the digital economy. “And we continue to promote policies to close that gap, because we know that an economy with equality is a stronger economy,” she added.

However, informal employment – whose occupation is 54% – continues to be a central concern for the Government, the working class, and the business sector, and Abinader referred to it during his opening speech at the XX American Regional Meeting of the International Labor Organization ( ILO ), which is being held until tomorrow in Punta Cana.

“We can’t just celebrate what we’ve achieved. We must look ourselves in the eye and recognize what still needs to be done. There are too many workers in the informal sector, too many young people without jobs, too many migrants without rights, and too many families trapped in uncertainty,” he said.

The president emphasized that these challenges represent common challenges for the entire region and underscored the need to move toward a model in which work is synonymous with dignity, justice, and shared prosperity.