SANTO DOMINGO – After years of unmet plans for the underutilized former Hotel Santo Domingo site, the Dominican government is moving forward with a transformative flagship infrastructure project set to reshape the capital’s business tourism landscape: a modern international convention center that will break ground following the three-month timeline for demolition of the aging hotel property.
Tourism Minister David Collado has confirmed that the initiative is advancing through coordinated inter-agency planning, with the Ministry of Tourism already moving $18 million in funding to the central government to acquire the 24,000-square-meter plot. The property purchase was facilitated through the country’s National Assets agency, and the land will soon be transferred to the Dominican Development Council, which will share oversight of the full project with the Central Bank Reserve. The design phase is already underway, after a competitive bidding process selected a firm to develop architectural and structural blueprints that align with global industry standards.
A core driver behind the project, Collado explained, is addressing a long-standing gap in the Dominican capital’s event infrastructure: currently, Santo Domingo has no venue large enough or equipped to accommodate major international conventions and large-scale industry gatherings. This gap has acted as a persistent bottleneck, holding back growth in the country’s lucrative meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) tourism segment. To ensure the new facility meets the rigorous demands of global event organizers, Dominican authorities have partnered for technical guidance with IFEMA, one of the world’s most respected and experienced convention and trade fair operators.
Collado projected that the convention center will unlock widespread economic benefits across the capital’s hospitality sector. Drawing on data from comparable projects around the world, he noted that similar developments have driven a 6 to 7 percent jump in local hotel occupancy, a gain that will trickle down to restaurants, transportation services, retail businesses and other tourism-related industries. Beyond direct revenue gains, the new facility is expected to cement Santo Domingo’s reputation as a competitive hub for international conferences, industry exhibitions, and large-scale entertainment events, opening the door to sustained long-term growth in high-value business tourism for the Dominican Republic.