Dominican tourism is one of the sectors that contributes most to the Dominican Republic's economy. September 27th marked World Tourism Day, and we take this opportunity to analyze the current situation of this industry.
How much does tourism contribute to the economy?
Of the $29.22 billion that entered the economy last year, the tourism sector contributed 25 percent of the foreign currency (US$1.44 trillion), according to information from the Central Bank.
Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García reported that the sector has generated more than US$$45 billion in the last seven years. He also highlighted that the country welcomed nearly 48 million visitors by air and sea.
How many tourists have come to the country?
Additionally, the cumulative arrival of non-resident visitors by air grew by 0.41% between January and August 2019. A total of 4,664,036 travelers arrived, an increase of 19,987 compared to the same period last year.
Within this result, according to the Central Bank, non-resident Dominicans experienced a year-on-year variation of 14.8% (91,141 additional travelers), while non-resident foreigners registered a decrease of 1.8%, that is, 71,154 fewer visitors than in January-August 2018.
The tourist influx in August was less negative (-7.5%) than in July of this year (-11.2%). Between January and August 2019, 497,390 non-resident visitors arrived in the country in August, representing a decrease of 40,185 compared to the same month in 2018.
The Bank explains this reduction in the flow of foreigners by the effects of the "media campaign" on tourist cases in the country that occurred last June.
Improved competitiveness
The Dominican Republic rose three places in the 2019 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TCCI), presented by the World Economic Forum.
In 2017, the country ranked 76th out of 140 economies worldwide, but last year it climbed to 73rd.
The report indicates that the country performed positively in all four sub-indexes that make up the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, achieving a score of 3.87.
Hotel Offer
According to the Minister of Tourism, the country has 95,000 rooms, and another 15,000 are currently under construction and remodeling. He highlighted the contribution of tourism worldwide, an industry that, he stated, generates one in five jobs worldwide.
Tourism Trends and Prospects in the Region
As part of its efforts to analyze the tourism situation in the Dominican Republic and promote the country as a safe tourist destination, the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR) will hold its monthly October luncheon with the conference: "Trends and Prospects in Tourism in the Region."
The presentation will be given by Frank J. Comito, who has served as CEO and General Manager of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) since 2015. The event will take place next Wednesday, October 23, at 12:30 PM in the Grand Ambassador Room of the Embajador Hotel.
