Santo Domingo.- Tourism Minister David Collado has lauded the advancements in the Dominican Republic’s tourism sector, emphasizing the substantial public investments and consistent tourist influx month after month. Anticipating record-breaking numbers in the early months of the year, Collado expressed confidence in the sector’s firm and robust progress.
Collado highlighted that until 2019, the Dominican Republic’s cumulative growth was 4.6%, slightly below the global growth of 4.8%. However, from 2020 to 2023, while the world experienced an annual decrease of 3.6%, the Dominican Republic maintained a growth rate of 4.2%.
Expressing gratitude for President Abinader’s acknowledgment of the sector’s accountability, Collado declared 2023 as the best year in the history of Dominican tourism. He foresees an exceptionally strong start to 2024, noting that January saw over a million visitors, and February recorded the best February in history.
Collado emphasized that tourism continues to strengthen, with expectations of record-breaking months in February, March, and April. In line with the president’s infrastructure plan, efforts are underway to revitalize all beaches in the country.
The minister highlighted ongoing projects in various locations, including Miches, Macao, Guayacanes I and II, Galera, Palenque, Haina, Los Patos, and Los Quemaítos, underlining the commitment to reclaiming and enhancing the country’s Sun and Beach tourist destination identity. Collado also mentioned the restoration of boardwalks in Santo Domingo, San Pedro, La Romana, Samaná, Cabrera, Montecristi, and Pedernales.
Collado concluded by emphasizing that these infrastructure investments align with the vision of creating a safer and more accessible destination.