Punta Cana.- At the opening of the 25th edition of the Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE 2025), Juan Bancalari, president of the Dominican Republic’s Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores), emphasized tourism’s critical role in driving the national economy. He noted that the sector contributes 19.3% to the country’s GDP and generates nearly 25% of all foreign currency, even surpassing remittances.
Looking ahead, Bancalari announced that the Dominican Republic is expected to welcome over 11 million tourists in 2025, with a goal of reaching 15 million in the coming years. This growth is backed by an 80% hotel occupancy rate in 2024 and plans to add over 9,000 hotel rooms within the next three years. He also highlighted increasing foreign direct investment in tourism, which exceeded US$1,000 million in 2024—accounting for nearly half of all FDI—thanks to legal stability and incentives like the Confotur law.
Bancalari called for continued diversification of the tourism sector through the development of emerging destinations such as Pedernales, Miches, Samaná, Juan Dolio, and Puerto Plata. He stressed the importance of promoting alternative tourism segments including sports, cultural, religious, and gastronomic tourism to position the Dominican Republic as a leading, sustainable, and competitive destination.
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