In a landmark move designed to unlock greater economic value from the Dominican Republic’s booming tourism sector, two of the nation’s leading industry bodies have formalized a collaborative partnership to integrate domestic manufacturing more deeply into tourism supply chains.
The Dominican Republic Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores), which represents the country’s core tourism infrastructure, and the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), the leading advocacy group for domestic manufacturing, signed the cooperation agreement this week in Santo Domingo. The partnership targets two overarching goals: expanding market access for Dominican-made goods and services for tourism operators, and advancing sustainable, circular economy practices across the tourism sector.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two organizations will first conduct a comprehensive mapping of current supply chains used by hotels, restaurants, and large-scale tourism development projects. This assessment will identify which products and services currently sourced from abroad can be fully or partially supplied by local Dominican producers, while also cross-referencing the specific operational needs of the tourism industry with the existing production capacity of domestic manufacturers.
To directly connect local suppliers with tourism industry buyers, the partnership will roll out a range of targeted engagement initiatives, including facilitated business matchmaking sessions, industry networking events, outbound trade missions, and small-scale pilot programs. All matching efforts will evaluate core commercial metrics, such as product quality, competitive pricing, delivery reliability, and scalable production capacity, while also encouraging domestic manufacturers to develop customized products tailored to the unique needs of the tourism sector.
A key secondary pillar of the cooperation focuses on advancing sustainability and circular economy principles across all linked supply chains. Asonahores and AIRD will jointly promote locally sourced sustainable alternative products, push for broader adoption of resource efficiency measures, and establish frameworks to cut waste, expand recycling systems, and embed more environmentally responsible operating practices throughout tourism supply chains.
Additional areas of collaboration include exploring joint programs to improve energy efficiency, expand water conservation infrastructure, cut carbon emissions, and develop specialized workforce training programs that align with the evolving skill needs of the integrated tourism and domestic manufacturing sectors.
Ultimately, the agreement leverages the ongoing rapid expansion of the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry to strengthen strategic ties between tourism and the nation’s domestic productive base. By growing demand for local goods and services, the two organizations aim to ensure a larger share of the economic value generated by tourism stays within the Dominican Republic, driving shared growth and competitiveness for both sectors.