The governor of the Central Bank, Héctor Valdez Albizu, highlighted this Friday the added value of tourism sector to the Dominican economy.
He indicated that the dynamism of the sector is reflected in a offer increasingly diversified of services, as well as its growing demand for its attractive.
Between January and August of this year, the country had received visits from six million tourists by air, added to the 1.8 million cruise passengers who disembarked in the country’s ports, totaling 7.8 million visitors in the first eight months of 2024, according to the data managed by the Ministry of Tourism and the Dominican Port Authority.
Likewise, the hotel activitybars and restaurants grew 7.1% during that period, being the second segment of the services sector that generated the greatest added value, after financial services, which grew 8.1%.
“He tourism sector “It has become, in the Dominican Republic, the backbone of economic growth, due to its attraction and attraction to tourists,” said Valdez Albizu.
He indicated that tourism It is also relevant due to the demand it generates, both for sources of employment and for the purchase of fundamental goods from the agricultural sector, which becomes “an underground investment that generates employment and generates economic activity.”
A source of foreign investment
The governor of Central Bank highlighted that the tourism It represents an important source of foreign direct investment, which could attract up to 10.5 billion dollars in foreign currency, if it attracts the 11.5 million visitors expected in 2024.
“This is a country that has become a source of investment attractionboth from foreign investors who come to work in the Dominican Republic (foreign direct investment), and from tourismwhich has quickly become a power in terms of similar countries,” he observed.
Remittances and export
He indicated that the same thing happens with remittanceswhich have reached 8,000 million dollars between January and September of this year, a growth of 5.3% compared to the same period of the previous year.
“Dominicans are responding punctually, sending their savings to their families in the country,” he stated, ensuring that remittances show a pace of expansion that estimates ending 2024 with more than 10.5 billion dollars, like the tourism.
- Meanwhile, exports They reached a total of 10,452.4 million dollars during the same period, encouraged by the 7.5% growth in exports from free zones (6,404.1 million dollars) and the 4.1% increase in national exports (with 4048.3 million dollars). .
These three activities, taken together, have contributed to maintaining stability relative exchange rate, with an accumulated depreciation of just 3.3%.
“We are for a good path in terms of currenciesand we have estimated that we will exceed, this year, the 40,000 million dollars that we would receive in 2024,” he assured.
