Santo Domingo – The Dominican Republic’s tourism industry is set to receive a major regulatory boost, as the Senate Tourism Commission moves forward with two targeted pieces of legislation designed to grow and diversify the country’s key travel sector. The bills focus on two high-potential niche segments: gastronomic tourism and structured health tourism, with the second proposal also creating a dedicated national governing body for the emerging health travel space.
Heading the commission, Senator Ginnette Bournigal de Jiménez led a thorough review of updates to both pieces of legislation, with work to refine draft provisions completed ahead of submitting favorable reports for a full vote before the entire Senate.
The first of the two bills was put forward by Senator Rafael Barón Duluc Rijo, with a core goal of elevating Dominican national cuisine to a central driver of sustainable tourism growth. Through the framework laid out in the legislation, policymakers aim to protect the country’s centuries-old culinary heritage, expand the range of tourism experiences available to international and domestic visitors, and channel greater tourism revenue into local communities to support inclusive economic development.
The second proposal, introduced by Senator Daniel Rivera, outlines the creation of the National Council for the Development of Health Tourism, known by its Spanish acronym CONDETUSA. The new body will serve as an official advisory council tasked with regulating the fast-growing health tourism sector across the country, while the legislation formally designates health tourism as a national priority for economic development.
Lawmakers backing the initiatives note that both bills are intended to establish clear, robust legal frameworks that will help the Dominican Republic diversify its tourism offerings beyond its traditional sun and beach travel product, and boost the country’s competitiveness in the global tourism market. As the commission has completed its review, the bills now move to the full Senate for formal consideration, putting the Dominican Republic one step closer to unlocking new growth opportunities in its most economically important industry.