Carib Scope

分类： business

  • Regering werkt aan Gold Board voor goudsector

    Regering werkt aan Gold Board voor goudsector

    Suriname is advancing sweeping regulatory reforms for its small-scale gold mining sector, with two major initiatives already underway to formalize and green the industry, Natural Resources Minister David Abiamofo announced during budget debates in the National Assembly.

    First, the government is moving forward with the establishment of a dedicated Suriname Gold Board, a body designed to bring greater transparency to gold trading and streamline the organization of the fragmented sector. Alongside this institutional overhaul, a nationwide count of all active gold mining operations will kick off shortly, once remaining logistics are finalized.

    Abiamofo emphasized that bringing order to the small-scale gold sector is far more than a routine administrative task. Most informal and small-scale mining sites are located in remote, hard-to-access goldfields, requiring specialized personnel, rugged transportation and specialized equipment to conduct a full, accurate inventory. To date, necessary vehicles have already been secured through a combination of donor-funded projects and allocations from the national state budget, with only the delivery of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) still pending. Once these arrive, the inventory work will commence.

    Beyond formalization, the ministry has completed work on a national Responsible Mining Strategy, and is partnering with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the GEF Gold project. This initiative builds on the outcomes of the earlier completed M-SACS project, and centers on cutting mercury use in small-scale gold extraction, aligning with the country’s obligations under the international Minamata Convention on Mercury. Abiamofo noted that the government has intentionally adopted a gradual approach to reducing mercury dependence, rather than implementing an immediate, outright ban – a choice designed to avoid disrupting livelihoods and sector activity during the transition.

    The minister also highlighted that the small-scale gold sector already makes a substantial contribution to national government revenue through royalties, permit fees and statistical levies. With improved regulatory structure and formalization, he added, overall revenue from the sector will grow significantly, while reducing the environmental and public health harm associated with unregulated mercury use.

  • Government to table deposit insurance legislation for credit unions

    Government to table deposit insurance legislation for credit unions

    Barbados’ credit union industry is days away from reaching a milestone more than a decade in the making, with long-awaited deposit insurance legislation set to be introduced to the country’s parliament for formal consideration. That announcement was made Saturday by Kemar Cumberbatch, president of the Barbados Cooperative and Credit Union League, during the opening session of the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Union (CCCU) Annual Conference, hosted at the Wyndham Grand Sam Lord’s Castle.

  • ABYETS Equips Young Entrepreneurs for Success at Upcoming Barbuda Trade Show

    ABYETS Equips Young Entrepreneurs for Success at Upcoming Barbuda Trade Show

    Barbuda’s River Run recently played host to a transformative strategic retreat organized by the Antigua and Barbuda Young Entrepreneurs Trade Show (ABYETS), designed to equip emerging and established young business leaders with critical skills ahead of the nation’s leading youth-focused business exhibition. Centered around the core theme “Restore, Connect, Empower,” the three-day immersive program brought together 29 participants drawn from both existing young entrepreneur networks and first-time registrants for the 2026 event.

    The retreat was intentionally structured to address key gaps in youth entrepreneurial development, with a curriculum tailored to turn abstract business ideas into tangible, executable strategies. The program kicked off with an interactive vision board workshop, a hands-on activity that guided participants to map out long-term professional goals, refine their brand messaging, and solidify their unique market positioning. Following the workshop, attendees took part in a fast-paced “speed-dating” pitch exercise, a dynamic format that forced participants to distill their business value propositions into tight, engaging presentations delivered to their fellow entrepreneurs.

    This peer-to-peer pitching session created a low-pressure environment for iterative feedback, allowing participants to refine their messaging and communication skills long before they face audiences and potential customers at the main trade show. Scheduled for July 4, 2026, the exhibition will be held at the Holy Trinity School grounds in Barbuda, where participants will showcase their one-of-a-kind products and services to local and regional attendees.

    In opening remarks to the cohort, ABYETS’ founder highlighted the critical roles of adaptability and clear vision for young entrepreneurs navigating today’s volatile global marketplace. “Think big,” the founder urged participants. “Never be afraid to grow an idea from a concept into a full-fledged business. The world is waiting for the unique solutions that only you can bring to the table, and the confidence you build here today is the bedrock of the success you will achieve tomorrow.”

    By the close of the retreat, participants departed River Run with a sharpened sense of purpose, walking away with actionable business tools, increased self-assurance, and a expanded network of like-minded young professional collaborators. Organizers have already extended an open invitation to members of the public across Antigua and Barbuda and beyond to attend and support the upcoming 2026 trade show, where the next generation of Caribbean business leaders will step into the spotlight. ABYETS operates as a mission-driven initiative focused on advancing youth empowerment through entrepreneurship, with more information available via communitycharitableministry.org.

  • SVG agri-projects go to ‘deal room’ after minister’s pitch in Barbados

    SVG agri-projects go to ‘deal room’ after minister’s pitch in Barbados

    Against a regional backdrop of rising food import dependency, climate-driven agricultural shocks and supply chain disruptions, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has positioned eight targeted agriculture and food system projects in the Caribbean’s regional investment marketplace, Agriculture Minister Israel Bruce has announced. Two of these proposals have already advanced to the advanced negotiation stage known as the “deal room” following the high-level Food Systems Investment Forum held in Barbados, which centered on mobilizing equity capital to strengthen Caribbean food security.

    Bruce, who accompanied the SVG delegation to the forum that brought together governments, development partners and private financial stakeholders under the theme “Mobilising Equity Capital for Resilient Food Systems in the Caribbean”, detailed the projects and early investor feedback during a post-forum press conference in Kingstown.

    Across a range of agricultural subsectors, SVG brought eight distinct investment proposals to the table, covering agro-processing expansion, youth agricultural entrepreneurship, irrigation infrastructure upgrades, national livestock processing and local poultry production scaling. The full slate of projects includes: a $5.5 million national abattoir development; a $4 million recapitalization plan for local agricultural marketing brand VincyFresh; a $12.8 million arrowroot crop revitalization program; a $6 million initiative to support youth entering agribusiness; a $5.3 million expansion of upgraded market depots in Lauders, La Croix and Langley Park; a $5 million national poultry production facility; the $8.28 million Rabacca irrigation infrastructure project; and the $2.58 million Richmond Valley irrigation project.

    Bruce highlighted that the youth-focused project directly responds to a pressing demographic challenge facing SVG’s agricultural sector: a rapidly ageing farming base that requires intentional policy intervention to drive generational renewal. The market depot expansion, meanwhile, is designed to elevate the three windward-side upgraded facilities beyond basic storage and processing functions, turning them into robust regional hubs that can connect local producers to new domestic and export buyer networks.

    After the forum’s pitching process, which allowed participating nations to showcase their priority projects to potential financers, two SVG proposals – the VincyFresh recapitalization and the arrowroot revitalization program – earned shortlisting for deeper due diligence and negotiation in the forum’s dedicated deal room. Bruce confirmed that active negotiations with interested financiers are already underway, noting that premature public disclosure of specific investor identities would be inappropriate while talks remain ongoing. “We hope that there’ll be fruit borne out of these two deal rooms. We are keeping our fingers crossed,” he told reporters. Even without finalized agreements, Bruce framed the shortlisting as an encouraging early signal that international financiers see strong potential for value addition and export growth in SVG’s agro-processing sector.

    Beyond the two shortlisted projects, all eight of SVG’s proposals have been added to a regional investment “deal book” – a centralized catalogue that will be used to market Caribbean agricultural projects to potential funders across the region and globally. Bruce explained that this centralized, regional packaging represents a shift from the outdated model of ad-hoc bilateral investment pitches, allowing Caribbean nations to present a coordinated, professional portfolio of opportunities to the global investment community.

    One of the most strategically significant projects on the slate, the $5 million national poultry facility, ties directly to SVG’s domestic policy goals of cutting food import costs and boosting national food sovereignty. Bruce noted that SVG currently spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on imported poultry, and the government is laser-focused on expanding local production to reduce this import burden while strengthening domestic food security. The Barbados forum, he said, offers a critical pathway to secure equity partners or concessionary financing to move the poultry facility from planning to implementation.

    Outlining his administration’s approach to agricultural financing, Bruce established a clear priority hierarchy designed to protect public finances and avoid unnecessary debt burdens for taxpayers: grant funding is the preferred first option, followed by public-private partnerships, then concessionary loans, with standard commercial loans ranked as the last resort. He framed this strategy as a core commitment to fiscal prudence, focused on creating economic breathing room rather than adding unsustainable fiscal pressures.

    Placing SVG’s participation in the broader context, Bruce noted the forum addressed shared regional challenges: climate-fueled agricultural shocks, global supply chain disruptions, and skyrocketing food import bills across the Caribbean. The overarching goal of the gathering is to support a regional transition away from the current model of heavy reliance on food imports and concessional lending, toward climate-resilient food systems supported by targeted equity and blended finance.

    Bruce also connected the high-level regional investment push to longstanding concerns raised by local SVG farmers, noting that when his New Democratic Party was in opposition, farmers consistently identified three top priorities: access to expanded market opportunities, solutions to praedial larceny, and improved farm access roads. “You can see that this mission was focused on market opportunities and access roads,” he explained, adding that all eight projects pitched in Barbados – from the abattoir and poultry facility to the irrigation schemes and youth investment plan – build on campaign commitments and ongoing domestic agricultural upgrades.

    While Bruce stressed that no firm financing commitments have been secured for any of the projects to date, he emphasized that securing spots in the deal room and regional deal book are critical foundational steps to attract investment. He committed to sharing further public updates as negotiations progress, framing the Barbados trip as part of a broader, long-term strategy to secure grants, equity and blended finance to transform SVG’s agriculture sector. Ultimately, he said, these investments will help shift SVG from an ageing, under-capitalized farming sector to a dynamic, youth-driven, export-focused industry that is more resilient to global and climate shocks.

  • Ali woos Jamaican business executive to build a Sandals eco-hotel in Guyana

    Ali woos Jamaican business executive to build a Sandals eco-hotel in Guyana

    During a public appearance Saturday marking the launch of a new automotive joint venture, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali made a direct public appeal to Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Jamaica-headquartered hospitality giant Sandals Resorts International, to develop a luxury all-inclusive eco-tourism resort in Guyana. In his remarks, the president emphasized that local private sector stakeholders are already prepared to commit an initial $15 million in joint investment to back the project.

    Ali framed the potential Guyanese venture as a historic opportunity for the Sandals brand, arguing that locating the resort in Guyana would create the brand’s top-tier eco-tourism destination that no competing property could match. “You will be doing your brand a great disservice if you don’t draw on the bold capacity I know your brand carries to make the best possible investment decision Sandals has ever made,” Ali said during the event. “That decision is to work with our private sector as partners in creating Sandals’ number one eco destination, all-inclusive resort here in Guyana. I can assure you that none will come close to you.”

    The meeting came ahead of the official opening of CAMS Motors, a new automotive dealership that operates as a joint venture involving Stewart’s ATL Group, the parent company of ATL Automotive. Stewart confirmed during the event that Ali has actively lobbied for Sandals to enter Guyana’s fast-growing hospitality sector, and while the discussions remain in early stages, he has not ruled out moving forward with the project.

    “As I arrived here, we were here to sell cars, but the president reminded me that one of these days we need to build a hotel down here, and I want to follow suit,” Stewart explained. “That’s not a public service announcement just yet. It’s a ‘we love the idea of it’.”

    Ali noted that the pitch to Sandals is the continuation of conversations that began roughly one year ago, when he first floated the concept of Sandals entering Guyana’s tourism market. He added that Guyana’s private sector has already demonstrated robust confidence in the country’s tourism growth trajectory, having completed construction on more than 14 new hotels across the country in recent years to accommodate rising visitor demand tied to Guyana’s expanding oil sector and growing global profile as a biodiversity and eco-tourism hotspot.

  • ‘Prepare to target the Cuban market’- President Ali tells Guyanese, Jamaican business executives

    ‘Prepare to target the Cuban market’- President Ali tells Guyanese, Jamaican business executives

    On Saturday, June 20, 2026, just 48 hours after Cuba unveiled a landmark package of market-oriented economic reforms that open the door to expanded private sector activity and increased foreign investment, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali has called on the country’s domestic private sector to seize the emerging regional opportunity by building local vehicle assembly lines. Speaking at the Georgetown launch event for Chinese vehicle brands Foton and Jetour, hosted by local automotive firm CAM Motors, Ali urged the newly formed joint venture between CAM Motors, Jamaica’s ATL Automotive, the Continental Group of Companies, and Guyana-based MMKJ Inc to move forward with establishing a regional assembly hub on Guyanese soil.

    Ali told attendees that he has already tasked MMKJ Inc director Vishok Persaud and his team with conducting a feasibility study to turn Guyana into a central assembly base for the growing range of new vehicle brands entering the Caribbean market. “We have the capacity to support full-scale assembly lines, and we can hit the critical market mass we need if we collaborate to scale up our regional footprint,” Ali said. “We have to look ahead – Cuba is opening its economy, and Haiti is also moving toward reopening its markets, which creates massive new demand we can meet from here.”

    Beyond the newly opening Caribbean markets, Ali noted that the hub could also tap into underutilized demand in neighboring northern Brazil and the Dominican Republic, a large Spanish-speaking Caribbean economy that offers additional growth opportunities. To set the stage for these investments, he emphasized that the Guyanese government has already put in place a supportive ecosystem for manufacturing and assembly, including investor-friendly regulatory policies, competitive tax structures, low energy costs, accessible digital infrastructure, and direct government backing for new industrial projects.

    Ali framed the assembly hub initiative as a core part of Guyana’s long-term economic strategy to diversify beyond its booming oil and gas sector, building a more resilient and sustainable economy that generates broad-based growth beyond the energy industry. “This is the kind of transformative project that will carry our economy past reliance on oil and gas, and move us solidly into long-term, inclusive sustainability,” he said.

    Cuba’s reform package, announced by President Miguel Diaz-Canel on June 18, 2026, represents the most sweeping opening of the Cuban economy in decades, rolled out in response to years of economic pressure and mounting external challenges. As reported by Al Jazeera, the plan expands permitted private enterprise activity across multiple sectors, introduces new measures to attract foreign direct investment – including investment from Cuban nationals living abroad – paves the way for private real estate development, allows for the conversion of state-owned enterprises into privately held shareholding companies, and permits private banks to enter a financial sector that has long been exclusively state-controlled.

    Persaud, the MMKJ director, confirmed that the joint venture is committed to supporting Guyana’s local content goals, beyond just building out vehicle assembly infrastructure. The partnership will not only deliver after-sales support and service for vehicle owners across the country, but also act as a domestic partner to embed local participation across the automotive supply chain. “This project lets us fully deliver on our local content legislation, expand domestic private sector participation, and ensure that Guyanese businesses get to take part in every layer of this growing industry,” Persaud said.

    Ali added that shifting domestic consumer demand in Guyana already creates a strong foundation for a new vehicle assembly sector. Rising incomes have left more Guyanese with greater disposable income, driving a steady shift away from imported used Japanese vehicles toward brand-new cars and commercial vehicles. “We are already seeing a rapidly expanding market for new vehicles among both private consumers and domestic businesses, that demand is only going to grow as our economy expands,” he noted. To support this market shift, the Guyanese government already eliminated the 14 percent Value Added Tax on vehicles with engine sizes of 1500 CC and larger earlier this year, cutting purchase costs for consumers and stimulating new vehicle sales.

  • Minister Abiamofo: Local content bij Zijin groeit, aandeel Surinaamse bedrijven neemt toe

    Minister Abiamofo: Local content bij Zijin groeit, aandeel Surinaamse bedrijven neemt toe

    Suriname’s growing local engagement in its gold mining sector has taken a positive step forward, with new data showing increasing local employment, rising local leadership representation, and growing contract values for domestic businesses at Chinese mining firm Zijin. Minister David Abiamofo of the Ministry of Natural Resources shared these updated figures during budget debates in the National Assembly of Suriname Friday, outlining steady progress in the company’s local content initiative.

    According to Minister Abiamofo, Zijin currently provides direct employment to roughly 1,690 Surinamese workers across its operations. An additional 1,400 Surinamese earn indirect income through the company’s network of local suppliers and contractors, meaning the firm supports a total of more than 3,000 local jobs across the country.

    The most notable gains have come in leadership and technical roles, which have historically been dominated by foreign personnel at large international mining projects in the country. Abiamofo confirmed that 25% of all senior management positions at Zijin’s Suriname operations are now held by local Surinamese professionals. That share jumps to 49% for mid-level management roles, while 95% of frontline supervisors and 83% of technical staff are recruited from the local workforce. All entry-level operational roles and internal support positions are currently filled exclusively by Surinamese workers.

    Minister Abiamofo acknowledged that a small number of highly specialized positions still rely on foreign experts, due to the specific experience and industry certifications required for these niche roles that are not yet widely available among the local workforce. However, he emphasized that this is a temporary gap that will continue to narrow as local workers gain more on-the-job experience and specialized training through the company’s capacity building programs.

    Beyond direct employment, the value of contracts awarded to Surinamese domestic businesses has also increased considerably, climbing from $163 million U.S. dollars to $192 million U.S. dollars in recent years. Correspondingly, the share of contracts going to foreign-based companies has declined as local suppliers have expanded their capabilities to meet the mining firm’s needs.

    Despite the positive progress, Minister Abiamofo stressed that local businesses must maintain competitive standards to retain these opportunities. “Quality, reliability, and competitiveness remain the deciding factors for contract awards,” he said. “Local companies cannot rely solely on long-standing working relationships to secure ongoing work; they must continue to deliver value that matches or exceeds what international firms can offer.”

    The updates come as Suriname continues to push for greater local benefits from its natural resource sector, a core driver of the country’s national economy. Local content requirements have become a key policy priority for the government, aimed at ensuring resource extraction delivers long-term inclusive economic growth rather than just short-term revenue.

  • Jamaican ‘side hustles’ get $ 1 billion fund: First Union initiative expected to benefit thousands

    Jamaican ‘side hustles’ get $ 1 billion fund: First Union initiative expected to benefit thousands

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a landmark move to address Jamaica’s growing demand for accessible small business financing, First Union Financial Company Limited has unveiled a J$1 billion dedicated initiative aimed at lifting up thousands of working Jamaicans pursuing side businesses and budding entrepreneurs across the island.

    Named the Employees’ Side-Hustle and Entrepreneur Micro Loan Revolving Fund Programme, the new initiative is crafted to remove the most persistent barrier holding back income-generating ventures across Jamaica: limited access to affordable capital. By opening up financing to individuals looking to launch new side projects, scale existing small operations, or solidify their business foundations, the fund targets three core long-term goals: expanding financial independence for Jamaican households, increasing rates of local business ownership, and driving sustained, inclusive economic growth across the country, the company outlined in an official statement.

    Jonalisa Brooks, Group General Manager of First Union Financial, explained that the program was directly shaped by shifting labor and economic trends across Jamaica. In recent years, the country has seen a sharp rise in full-time employees launching supplementary side businesses to boost their household income, a trend that created an unmet need for targeted financial support.

    “We have watched a significant shift unfold: more and more Jamaicans are balancing full-time roles while building their own small business ventures on the side,” Brooks shared. “Countless people across the country are searching for actionable ways to add to their income, provide more stability for their families, and build a more secure financial future. We saw a clear gap: there was no dedicated financing program built specifically to support these ambitions, so we built one.”

    Beyond supporting new side-hustle launches, the initiative also delivers much-needed working capital to established small business owners who are ready to scale their operations and grow their impact. Brooks emphasized that access to affordable capital has long been the single biggest challenge facing small and micro enterprise owners across Jamaica, and the fund is designed to directly close that gap.

    “For emerging and established small business owners alike, limited access to financing remains the top barrier to growth,” Brooks noted. “Through this revolving fund, we are delivering practical, accessible funding solutions that meet entrepreneurs where they are. Our commitment to serving the people of Jamaica — working employees and aspiring business owners alike — has never been stronger.”

    Qualified applicants will be able to access loans of up to J$2.5 million to support a broad range of viable income-generating activities. Eligible sectors include retail and wholesale trade, agriculture and agro-processing, local manufacturing, transportation and logistics, professional services, import and distribution, technology and digital businesses, along with other vetted profitable ventures.

    A key innovative feature of the program is its revolving fund structure, which creates a self-sustaining model of financing for future generations of Jamaican entrepreneurs. As current borrowers repay their loans, those funds are cycled back into the pool to issue new loans, ensuring that capital remains available to support new business founders long into the future.

    Brooks emphasized that the launch comes at a critical juncture for Jamaica’s economic recovery and long-term development, noting that many of the country’s most successful, industry-leading businesses started as small side projects run by hardworking founders. “Thousands of Jamaicans have the talent, the drive, and the game-changing ideas to build thriving, successful enterprises — but too often, they are held back simply because they can’t access the capital they need to get off the ground or grow,” she said. “This fund is built to unlock that untapped potential.”

    “Jamaica needs more entrepreneurs, more local business owners, and more local job creators,” Brooks added. “By investing in hardworking people who are ready to invest in themselves and their ideas, we are building stronger local communities, more resilient small businesses, and ultimately a stronger, more prosperous Jamaican economy.”

    First Union Financial is now encouraging all interested eligible Jamaicans to learn more about the program, reach out to company offices for detailed information on eligibility criteria and application processes, and take advantage of the new financing opportunity.

  • The basic food basket has risen 534 pesos, representing 1.1% so far this year

    The basic food basket has risen 534 pesos, representing 1.1% so far this year

    Fresh official economic data from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) confirms that both the cost of the national basic family food basket and overall inflation have maintained steady upward trajectories through the first five months of 2026, placing growing financial strain on household budgets across the country.

    By the end of May 2026, the average cost of the basic family food basket hit 49,268.36 Dominican pesos. This marks a 1.1% cumulative increase since the start of the year, equal to a 534.08 peso rise from the January 2026 average of 48,734.28 pesos. Price hikes have been observed across all income quintiles, with the highest-income fifth quintile recording the largest absolute increase at 1,378.43 additional pesos. Lower income brackets saw smaller but still notable increases: the lowest first quintile rose by 182.56 pesos, the second by 293.27 pesos, the third by 428.64 pesos, and the fourth by 529.15 pesos.

    Inflationary pressure has also not been evenly distributed across the Dominican Republic’s regions. Between January and May 2026, the East region experienced the steepest rise in basic food basket costs at 681.43 pesos, followed by the North region with a 591.94 peso increase and the Ozama region at 552.34 pesos. The South region saw the most moderate growth, with an overall increase of just 265.58 pesos.

    Overall national inflation has consistently outpaced the BCRD’s official target range of 4.0% ± 1.0% through the first five months of the year. Starting at 4.98% in January, inflation rose to 5.11% in April before climbing an additional 0.24 percentage points to 5.35% in May. Beyond food costs, rising prices for essential services and transportation have compounded increases to the overall cost of living.

    In the services sector alone, monthly inflation hit 0.42% in May 2026, driven largely by higher prices for personal care services. Year-over-year, services inflation reached 6.6% through May when compared to the same period in 2025. When breaking down inflation drivers across sectors, transportation recorded the largest cumulative price increase in the first five months of 2026 at 2.16%, making it the top contributor to overall national inflation. It was followed by services at 0.42%, restaurants and hotels at 0.41%, and health care at 0.36%.

    Not all sectors saw price growth, however. Five categories recorded modest price decreases through May 2026: recreation and culture (-0.98%), food and non-alcoholic beverages (-0.58%), communications (-0.16%), clothing (-0.10%), and furniture (-0.04%).

    Overall, the sustained upward trend in core living costs and above-target inflation has eroded Dominican households’ purchasing power through the first half of 2026, creating ongoing financial challenges for families covering daily basic needs.

  • David Collado launches “Dive Into Happiness” campaign to strengthen the promotion of Cabarete

    David Collado launches “Dive Into Happiness” campaign to strengthen the promotion of Cabarete

    Dominican Republic’s Tourism Minister David Collado has unveiled a groundbreaking international marketing campaign titled “Dive Into Happiness” at a launch event hosted in Miami, marking a key step in cementing Cabarete’s reputation as one of the Caribbean’s premier destinations for surfing and wind-powered water sports.

    This latest initiative builds on a strategic tourism development framework rolled out several years ago, which branded Cabarete the official “Surf & Wind City” of the Caribbean. That earlier strategy was designed to put the Puerto Plata coastal town on both regional and global travel radars, positioning it as a top-tier hub for sports, adventure, and immersive experiential travel.

    The campaign’s launch event drew high-profile professional surfers from both the Dominican Republic and Mexico, a deliberate pairing that aligns with the tourism ministry’s broader goal of bridging Dominican tourism offerings with key international audiences, while showcasing the full breadth of the country’s diverse travel attractions beyond its most well-known spots.

    Through this new campaign, the Dominican Ministry of Tourism is doubling down on its effort to establish the country as the Caribbean’s leading multi-destination travel spot. Rather than only leaning into the nation’s iconic postcard-perfect beaches, the campaign shines a spotlight on niche, specialized destinations like Cabarete, which has already earned global acclaim for its unrivaled natural conditions ideal for surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, and a wide range of other adrenaline-fueled water activities.

    Industry analysts note the campaign delivers a much-needed economic boost to the Dominican Republic’s North Coast and the province of Puerto Plata as a whole. It also comes at a pivotal moment for national tourism leaders, who have made growing diversification of the country’s travel product and strengthening the unique identity of individual local destinations a core priority for long-term sector growth.