By Gissel Taveras
El Inmobiliario
SANTO DOMINGO.-Last year, the Dominican Republic ranked as the tenth country with the best performance in tourist arrivals by air, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
According to the "World Tourism Barometer" report, the Dominican Republic registered a 24% growth in its air arrivals, establishing itself as the main destination chosen by passengers in the Caribbean during the past year.
These figures in the sector, despite the armed conflicts, continue to improve, as the Ministry of Tourism predicts half a million additional visitors to the 11 million projected just two weeks ago, a figure that raises the bar to the goal expected to be reached by the end of 2024.
To reach this number, new hotel establishments will be added, a strategy that will also attract foreign investment.
The most recent was the one announced by President Luis Abinader; the inauguration of the Latitude 18 project and the Santo Domingo Marriott Piantini & Aloft Santo Domingo hotels, Piantini, on Abraham Lincoln Avenue, works that will generate 300 new jobs and bring 400 hotel rooms.
This investment will also strengthen business tourism in the country, as the Dominican Republic is a destination known for its geographical and cultural diversity.
Another chain investing in the country is Quinta by Wyndham, an international brand that will arrive in Puerto Plata to add 115 new rooms to this destination on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, immediately creating 200 new direct jobs during its construction phase.
The hotel will feature a lobby bar, a restaurant, coworking and meeting spaces, a well-equipped wellness center, and a swimming pool.
Additionally, Mac Hotels and Grupo Puntacana signed a management agreement with Marriott International in October of last year to bring the W brand to the Dominican Republic.
The new construction project is underway and the first progress can already be seen, with the aim of opening in 2025.
“We are delighted to be part of this unique project, not only because of its magnitude, but also because it will boost tourism development in the area,” they said after the visit made together with Giuseppe Violante, architect of Zanobia Arquitectura.
The W Punta Cana Uvero Alto hotel will be an adults-only resort, marking the brand's debut in the Dominican Republic and will also be one of W's first all-inclusive resorts worldwide.
The Bergantín tourism development project also began construction of the first two hotels to be built in the Puerto Plata project, which will be developed by the Martinón Group, with Spanish capital.
It was reported that the estimated investment exceeds $180 million for this development and will become one of the most important in the northern region.
Upon completion, Punta Bergantín is projected to have more than 4,500 hotel rooms, as well as 5,000 residential rooms and a film studio, along with an academic campus intended to promote education and innovation in the country.
And of course, one of the most anticipated projects is the construction of the first two hotels that will be part of the Pedernales-Cabo Rojo Tourism Development Project, under the supervision of the Pro-Pedernales Trust and the General Directorate of Public-Private Partnerships (DGAPP).
The companies awarded the contract for the construction of these hotels are the consortiums Therrestra-Estel and Cocaro Development.
These projects represent an estimated investment of $240 million and will add up to 1,100 rooms between the two complexes, which will represent more jobs, more growth and better opportunities for the country and for Dominicans.
This represents a significant step forward for the residents of Pedernales, the Enriquillo region, and the entire South.
