Forbes
The tourism boom is driving the increase in hotel rooms. From approximately 86,000 units available in 2022, the figure is now around 90,000, according to records from the National Association of Hotels and Tourism (Asonahores).
The construction sector is also moving towards implementing environmentally friendly processes to support the sustainable development vision that characterizes new tourism proposals. This is according to Hugo Pérez, founder and CEO of Therrestra, who cites as an example the company's shift from using concrete masonry blocks to using formwork for prefabricated slabs.
“To lay blocks I need many people; but, to make formwork I need a team trained in technology, so, we are really changing the volume of labor for the use of sophisticated machinery,” says Pérez, who has a track record of more than 20 years in hotel construction.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the agency concluded its participation in this year's Madrid Tourism Fair with 19 new tourism projects, representing an investment of $3.5 billion, which will add more than 9,000 new hotel rooms across the country. Of these rooms, 2,048 are expected to be operational during this year's summer-winter season, and another 3,106 by 2025.
“We have so many projects going up at the same time in the country that labor is becoming scarce, which is bad for builders, but good for the country because there is already a high demand for technical people, which means that the sector is becoming more professional,” says Pérez.
It indicates that investors are increasingly considering the sustainable development of projects, ensuring that construction companies guarantee the classification of waste and that it is deposited in specific places that allow it to be recycled.
“We stack the plastic, concrete, cardboard, wood and other materials separately, then we hire a firm that takes care of processing each one,” says Pérez, who last year experienced remodeling the Cayo Levantado Resort project, by Grupo Piñero, in Samaná, with a sustainable vision.
Therrestra Group specializes in the design, construction, and supervision of tourism, residential, and commercial projects in the Dominican Republic and throughout the Caribbean. They have worked in Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Maarten. They recently expanded into South America, specifically Guyana, to develop new projects.
Pérez believes that various aspects influence the development of tourism, among which he highlights citizen security, education, economic growth and connectivity.
"It's a complete combination; there isn't one item that needs improvement. We need to improve everything we have and continue working in that direction.".
“The Dominican Republic is at its best right now because, despite all the shortcomings of a developing country, we have everything necessary in the organizational structure to develop tourism. We have the capacity to build 90,000 more hotel rooms if we had the necessary number of visitors,” he says.
He explains that he has had to build projects in countries where it is difficult to find specialized labor or some construction materials, things that are resolved in the Dominican Republic because it has a long-established structure.
Cover photo: Pixabay.
