SANTIAGO, Dominican Republic — A high-profile business gathering focused on long-term national economic strategy brought together top government officials and private sector leaders this Tuesday, with Dominican Republic Vice President Raquel Peña headlining the guest list for the industry luncheon “Building the Future from a Business Vision.” Organized by business association Capex and hosted at the UTESA Dominican Convention and Culture Center, the event centered on a keynote address from legendary Dominican tourism entrepreneur Frank Rainieri, drawing cross-sector attendance from executives, public policymakers, and representatives of the country’s key productive industries.
In her opening remarks at the summit, Vice President Peña underscored the critical value of collaborative public-private dialogue to shape the Dominican Republic’s long-term economic trajectory. She paid public tribute to Rainieri, crediting his decades of work as a foundational driver of the Dominican tourism sector’s transformation and broader national economic expansion.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Peña framed Rainieri as a pioneering visionary whose decades of on-the-ground experience offer invaluable lessons for the country’s next chapter of growth. She also addressed ongoing volatility in the global economic landscape, confirming that the administration of President Luis Abinader remains proactive in monitoring shifting international conditions. The government, she noted, is rolling out targeted policy measures designed to safeguard broad-based economic stability and protect vulnerable industries and communities from external headwinds.
During his keynote presentation, Rainieri walked attendees through the humble, challenging origins of Punta Cana, one of the Caribbean’s most iconic tourism destinations. He recalled the steep obstacles development teams faced decades ago, when the region was marked by sparse basic infrastructure and limited connectivity to the rest of the country. Reflecting on the project’s eventual success, Rainieri pushed back on common framing of the achievement as mere luck or coincidence. “Some call it opportunity, others call it luck; I call it vision,” he stated, emphasizing that Punta Cana’s steady growth was the product of intentional, decades-long strategic planning.
Beyond his own tourism legacy, Rainieri outlined core principles he said are required to deliver lasting, sustainable progress across the Dominican economy. He argued that enduring growth depends on three key pillars: building intentional strategic alliances between public and private stakeholders, maintaining flexibility to adapt to shifting market conditions, and sustaining consistent investment in high-gloom sectors outside of tourism. Key sectors he highlighted for future investment included manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, agro-industry, and domestic production with enhanced value-add, all of which he said can drive diversified, inclusive growth for the nation.
The closed-door luncheon and discussion created a rare space for cross-sector exchange, with attendees focusing on three core themes for national development: strong, forward-looking leadership, widespread innovation across industries, and unlocking untapped opportunities for expanded economic growth across the Dominican Republic.