In the northern Dominican city of Santiago de los Caballeros, the leading regional tourism industry coalition has thrown its full support behind a proposed infrastructure project that promises to reshape travel and economic activity across two of the nation’s most popular tourism hubs. The Santiago Tourist Destination Cluster has publicly endorsed the development of the Amber Tourist Highway, arguing that the new roadway will fill critical gaps in regional connectivity between the provinces of Santiago and Puerto Plata, unlocking shared economic and tourism growth for both areas. Brenda Sánchez, president of the cluster, which represents a broad cross-section of local tourism-related businesses and stakeholders, framed the highway initiative as a transformative opportunity for the Dominican Republic’s northern tourism corridor. She emphasized that the project will make it far easier to cultivate multi-destination travel, a strategy that encourages visitors to extend their stays and explore more of the country rather than limiting their trips to a single location. Improved road links will also streamline travel for both domestic tourists traveling within the Dominican Republic and international visitors arriving from overseas, removing common logistical barriers that currently discourage cross-province travel. Beyond improving convenience for travelers, Sánchez noted that the highway will deepen the collaborative relationship between Santiago and Puerto Plata, two core pillars of the Dominican Republic’s $7 billion annual tourism industry. The interconnected nature of the new route will allow the two destinations to complement one another: visitors can explore the cultural and historic attractions of inland Santiago, then easily travel to the coastal resort hubs of Puerto Plata for beach getaways, creating a more well-rounded vacation experience. Sánchez added that this enhanced connectivity will also boost the region’s overall global competitiveness as a tourism destination. A more integrated, accessible corridor is likely to draw higher levels of foreign and domestic private investment into hotels, restaurants, adventure tourism operations, and other tourism-related businesses, creating new jobs and expanding tax revenues for local governments. For existing businesses across the sector, from small family-owned guest houses to large international resort chains, the improved infrastructure will translate to higher customer volumes and stronger revenue streams. In closing, the Santiago Tourist Destination Cluster reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to supporting strategic infrastructure projects that align with the goal of sustainable, inclusive tourism growth. The organization stressed that investments that improve regional mobility, expand access to tourism assets, and strengthen collaboration between complementary destinations are key to ensuring the long-term resilience and prosperity of the Dominican Republic’s tourism economy, which accounts for roughly 15% of the nation’s total GDP.
Santiago tourism cluster supports construction of Amber Tourist Highway
