Real estate projects linked to tourism represent around 42% of total registered tourism investments, with commitments exceeding US$4.5 billion.
SANTO DOMINGO. – Although FITUR is not a real estate fair in the strictest sense, the 2026 edition clearly demonstrates a silent transformation in the Dominican Republic's tourism strategy: the advancement of real estate tourism as a structural component of the country's investment model.
This is not a discursive trend or an improvised category, but a reality that emerges from official data, public policy, and statements from the sector's own authorities.
According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, tourism contributes more than 30% of the foreign exchange entering the country and, together with remittances and free zones, leads the stability of the external sector, remaining one of the main drivers of the national economy.
In that context, foreign direct investment in tourism has been the most significant in recent years, exceeding US$4 billion annually, according to official balance of payments figures, and this flow of capital has not been concentrated solely in traditional hotels.
A growing proportion is directed towards real estate projects with a tourist focus , which integrate residences, short-stay rentals, services and, in many cases, international hotel brands, in exclusive and ultra-luxury projects.
The economic weight of real estate tourism within the flow of capital to the Dominican Republic is quantifiable. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, real estate projects linked to tourism represent approximately 42% of total registered tourism investments, with commitments exceeding US$4.5 billion within a universe of more than US$10.7 billion in approved projects.
This proportion confirms that the capital arriving in the sector is not concentrated exclusively in traditional hotels, but is increasingly channeled towards mixed developments that combine accommodation, residences and tourist services.
From a macroeconomic perspective, the figures from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic for 2025 confirm the continuation of the pattern of sectoral concentration of foreign direct investment.
In the first half of 2025, FDI amounted to US$2,892.8 million, representing a year-on-year growth of 15.3%, and the Central Bank itself noted that tourism and energy remained among the main recipients of these flows, while the real estate sector continued to be among the most dynamic associated with attracting foreign capital.
Together, tourism and real estate absorbed 43.3% of all foreign direct investment flows received by the country during that period, which demonstrates the centrality of these sectors within the capital attraction strategy and, in particular, the weight of the real estate component associated with tourism.
This capital composition explains why real estate tourism has ceased to be a marginal phenomenon and has become a silent pillar of the Dominican tourism model.
The magnitude of the amounts involved, the growing participation within tourism investment and its weight within total FDI confirm that it is a structural segment, with a direct impact on territorial development, construction, employment and foreign exchange generation, and not a cyclical trend associated only with the boom in second homes.
The Ministry of Tourism itself has acknowledged that real estate projects represent a significant portion of registered tourism investments, exceeding 40% of the total in recent years, which confirms the importance of this segment within the tourism ecosystem.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Jacqueline Mora, has directly addressed this phenomenon. In statements reported by specialized media, Mora affirmed that “luxury is a driving force for real estate tourism in the Dominican Republic,” referring to the development of branded residences linked to international hotel chains as part of the natural evolution of the local tourism product.
The official explained that this type of project attracts high-spending visitors who are interested not only in vacationing, but also in investing and establishing a more permanent, business relationship with the destination.
Mora also noted that the global market for branded residences could mobilize tens of billions of dollars in the next decade, and that the Dominican Republic is well positioned to capture some of that capital, thanks to its air connectivity, macroeconomic stability and accumulated experience in tourism development.
From the private sector, the Dominican Republic's Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores) has argued that growth should focus on product diversification and integration with other economic sectors. The inclusion of tourism real estate at Fitur demonstrates that this approach is working.
In various institutional statements, the association has insisted that the country has overcome the phase of accelerated expansion of rooms and that the current challenge is to raise the quality of investment, strengthen production chains and ensure the sustainability of the model.
FITUR 2026 fits into this logic as a space for strategic articulation, since more than an immediate sales showcase, it functions as a meeting point between promoters, investment funds, international banks and public authorities.
For the Dominican Republic, it is the setting where projects are validated, alliances are structured, and the appetite of European capital for tourism developments with a real estate component is measured.
Data from the Central Bank reinforces this interpretation when it states that the sustained growth of credit to the tourism and construction sector is an indicator that projects have formal financial backing and risk assessment, a key element in distinguishing between structured real estate tourism and mere speculation.
Added to this is the profile of the foreign buyer, who is increasingly looking for real estate assets with the capacity to generate income, in a regulated environment and with long-term prospects.
Unlike other Caribbean destinations, the Dominican Republic offers scale, institutional continuity, and a planning framework defined by instruments such as the National Development Strategy 2030 and the Target Plan 2036, which prioritize sustainability, territorial planning, and attracting investment with lasting impact.
At FITUR 2026, the country does not openly promote real estate tourism as a concept, but it does present an ecosystem where tourism and real estate investment advance in an integrated way.
This model is gaining traction without major headlines because it responds to an economic logic supported by data, public policy, and market decisions.
