“It is not only the construction sector that has evolved the most, there are also more and more doctors and primary care health centers.
PUNTA CANA.- The booming activity in Punta Cana, the tourist destination that has put the world's attention on the Dominican Republic, is causing national professionals to migrate to this eastern region, where local talent cannot keep up with the high demand for services, said Osman González, director of the Association of Real Estate Agents and Companies (AEI), East Zone.
“It’s definitely no longer just about foreign or domestic investors who come here taking advantage of this destination. There are many professionals, engineers, and accountants who are coming from the interior to live here,” emphasizes the architect, who is also the Director of Promotion and Marketing for Civilmek Realty Group, Cap Cana.
He argued that this transformation occurred during the pandemic and in the subsequent process. “Incredible, what happened during and after the pandemic transformed the East because people identified an opportunity to live in an area with more space. Many people came during the pandemic and discovered that they could work online, and seeing the opportunity to work remotely and do business, they decided to stay in the area.”.
“Many are migrating here to work as accountants, doctors, lawyers, in all fields, because the area is hungry for talent. So, the common thought is, 'If my finger hurts, I'll go to Santo Domingo.' No, there are already health centers here that can treat you,” the professional stated.
He said that his offices receive product samples daily from people who have recently arrived in the area. “And now that Grupo Puntacana has a free trade zone, the opportunity for local migration is incredible. I'm seeing more and more people, not to mention Argentinians, Venezuelans, Chileans, and Colombians—many professionals from the latter country, engineers, architects.”.
He highlighted that the number of event companies arriving in the area from Santo Domingo and Santiago is impressive, because local talent is overwhelmed with activities and cannot keep up.
González said that there is a big difference between the Punta Cana he arrived in eight years ago from his native Venezuela and the Punta Cana of today. “It’s not just the construction sector that has evolved the most; there are also more and more doctors and primary healthcare centers,” he said, pointing to an area of warehouses where numerous service offices of large national companies have set up shop.
He explained that the job market in the hotel, tourism in general and services sectors is constantly growing, citing the case of Dorado Park in Cap Cana, whose construction began in 2021 and which will be inaugurated this March.
“You can imagine the number of people who are going to come, in addition to Katmandu Park which is also here in Punta Cana,” the AEI representative said in statements to El Inmobiliario.
Osman González added that Cap Cana alone closed 2023 with more than 500 homes under development and that high-end hotels are currently being built there that will become the leading hotels of their kind in the Caribbean area.
He mentioned the case of companies like Ikea and Almacenes Unidos that have opened their operations in the area with large and modern infrastructures.
He opined that services such as vehicle maintenance are still lacking, because the main headquarters do not have branches for this, among other services demanded by the population.
Cover photo: Architect Osman González. (External source).
