In the Dominican Republic, an ambitious tourism development plan is underway, promising to transform the industry in the coming years.
Nineteen (19) new hotel investments are projected for the next three years, totaling 9,135 rooms, with an estimated investment of $2.936 billion. Of these projects, five are being developed in Miches, El Seibo province, expected to generate around 4,500 direct jobs and 9,500 indirect jobs, as reported by the president of the Dominican Republic Hotels and Tourism Association (Asonahores).
Currently, Miches has two operational hotels employing 1,600 direct and 3,700 indirect workers. The new projects will not only create employment but also bring additional benefits to the region, such as employee housing, infrastructure improvements, environmental initiatives, and waste management, among others.
The hotels under construction in Miches will generate 14,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The projects in Miches represent approximately 1,500 rooms, including notable developments like the luxury Zemí hotel, led by entrepreneur Frank Elías Rainieri, scheduled to open in October with 500 rooms.
The opening of a Hyatt hotel and another Viva Wyndham Resorts hotel, the latter with an initial phase of 500 rooms, is also expected.
Various Projects
Tourism Minister David Collado emphasized the importance of these projects for developing new tourist hubs in the country.
Under the platform of the El Seibo-Miches Hotels and Tourism Association (Promiches), seven hotel and real estate projects have been identified in Miches, expected to add more than 3,000 hotel rooms and 1,624 residential units in the coming years. During the construction phase of these eight projects, around 10,000 direct jobs are estimated to be generated, with an additional 6,000 direct jobs during operation.
President Luis Abinader has highlighted Miches’ development potential as one of the country’s most impressive tourist destinations, suggesting a promising future for the region.
On another note, in Pedernales, the Government is implementing the Cabo Rojo-Pedernales Tourist Development Project, conceived to unfold in four phases over a period of up to 20 years, with an estimated investment of $2.245 billion for the first phase. Upon project completion, the southern region of the country is expected to offer 12,000 hotel rooms, along with an international airport, commercial areas, residential zones, and restaurants, among other amenities.
Regarding employment in the tourism sector, as of March 2024, there were 202,954 jobs with an average salary of 26,000 pesos, mainly distributed in La Altagracia, the National District, Puerto Plata, Santiago, and Santo Domingo. Additionally, the tourism sector has significantly contributed to tax payments, with a 23% increase compared to the previous year.
In terms of strategy, Minister Collado has highlighted three key points: promoting luxury tourism to enhance the country’s brand, developing convention tourism, and diversifying sports and gastronomic tourism, along with the new projects in Miches and Punta Bergantín. These initiatives aim to strengthen the Dominican Republic’s position as a leading tourist destination in the region.
Tourism Sector Strategy
Tourism Minister David Collado stated they are developing a strategy with three key points: 1) elevating luxury tourism to enhance our country’s brand; 2) developing convention tourism, and 3) diversifying the country’s sports and gastronomic tourism, along with the new projects in Miches and Punta Bergantín.
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