标签： Dominican Republic

Six months after its completion, an independent assessment has confirmed that the Empresarias Progresando (EMPRO) initiative, a women-focused business development program run by INCAE Business School in the Dominican Republic, has driven remarkable, measurable growth for female-led small and medium enterprises across the country.

The highly competitive program selected just 49 participants out of more than 500 total applicants. Its structured curriculum combines multi-phase targeted business training with a full week of immersive in-person instruction hosted at INCAE’s campus in Costa Rica, equipping participating entrepreneurs with the skills, networks, and strategies needed to scale their operations. Early impact data collected after six months shows these investments have translated to extraordinary improvements across four core pillars of business success: revenue growth, job creation, digital transformation, and expanded access to capital.

Economic outcomes for participants far outpace baseline expectations for typical small business development programs. Average monthly sales for participating women-owned businesses nearly tripled compared to pre-program levels, while total employment across the cohort jumped by 80 percent. In total, the program has supported the creation of approximately 450 new full and part-time jobs across the Dominican Republic, expanding local livelihoods beyond the 49 participating entrepreneurs themselves. Beyond revenue and headcount gains, 82 percent of program graduates launched new business opportunities, most through the development of original products and services that opened untapped customer markets.

A key focus of the EMPRO initiative is closing gaps in digital and financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs, and results in these areas are equally compelling. At the start of the program, 22 percent of participants did not integrate any digital tools into their daily business operations; by the program’s conclusion, every entrepreneur had adopted digital tools for tasks ranging from sales tracking to customer outreach, positioning their businesses for long-term competitiveness in an increasingly digital economy. On the financing side, 69 percent of participants secured new capital to scale their operations, with nearly half of those loans coming through traditional banking channels, most from program partner Banco BHD. A large majority of participants also overhauled their internal financial management practices, a shift that program organizers say signals stronger operational capacity and sustainable long-term growth potential for the cohort.

The EMPRO program is a collaborative public-private initiative, backed by funding and strategic support from three partner organizations: the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the PriceSmart Foundation, and Banco BHD. Program leaders say the strong results of the six-month evaluation make a clear case for scaling targeted investments in female entrepreneurship as a core driver of national economic competitiveness and inclusive, sustainable development across emerging markets.

SAN PEDRO DE MACORÍS — Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has formally opened the Renacer Plant, a ground-breaking industrial facility that claims the title of the first food-grade recycled PET resin production plant in the entire Caribbean region.

Nested within the Quisqueya Free Zone in San Pedro de Macorís, the landmark project is the product of a strategic partnership between two local firms, Diesco and Invema. Designed to convert millions of post-consumer plastic bottles into food-safe reusable raw material, the launch marks a transformative leap forward for the Dominican Republic’s transition to a circular economy.

Backed by a total investment of more than 3 billion Dominican pesos, the facility boasts an annual processing capacity of over 124 million plastic bottles. Beyond its industrial output, the plant is projected to create more than 500 direct job positions and support up to 5,000 indirect employment opportunities across the country’s recycling and supply chains.

Government officials have outlined multiple economic and environmental benefits tied to the initiative. By strengthening the entire domestic recycling value chain, the plant cuts the Dominican Republic’s reliance on imported virgin PET resin, while unlocking new export opportunities for the high-quality recycled output it produces. Environmental gains are equally significant: the facility will prevent thousands of tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually by keeping plastic waste out of landfills and ecosystems, and reducing the carbon footprint associated with producing new plastic.

Both public officials and private sector leaders point to the Renacer Plant as a powerful testament to rising investor confidence in the Dominican Republic’s economic and regulatory landscape. The project also stands as a model of successful public-private collaboration, blending government support for sustainable industrial development with private sector innovation and investment.

In addition to its core industrial and economic impacts, the facility is designed to drive long-term community development in the San Pedro de Macorís region. It will host vocational training programs for local workers, operate an on-site medical dispensary for community use, and open an educational recycling museum to raise public awareness about circular economy practices. These complementary initiatives are expected to cement San Pedro de Macorís’ position as a regional hub for sustainable industrial innovation across the Caribbean.

At the annual Seatrade Cruise Global industry conference held in Miami, a landmark announcement that promises to reshape Caribbean cruise tourism has emerged: Disney Cruise Line will officially add the Dominican Republic to its regular Caribbean voyage routes starting this November. This move marks a significant win for the Dominican Republic’s fast-growing travel and hospitality sector, with Disney vessels set to make regular port calls at Taíno Bay, the modern cruise terminal located in Puerto Plata – one of the northern Dominican Republic’s most rapidly expanding leisure and tourism hubs.

Dominican Republic’s Minister of Tourism David Collado emphasized that the entry of a globally renowned brand like Disney Cruise Line represents a transformative milestone for the country’s cruise industry. Unlike mass market cruise operators that cater to lower-budget travelers, Disney typically attracts higher-spending international visitors, a demographic that will deliver greater revenue gains for local businesses from hospitality to artisanal retail. Beyond direct economic benefits, Collado noted that the partnership also cements the Dominican Republic’s standing as one of the Caribbean’s premier cruise destinations, setting it apart from competing regional markets.

Industry analysts and tourism officials project that Disney’s decision will trigger a ripple effect of positive growth across the country’s tourism ecosystem. It is expected to drive a measurable uptick in overall visitor arrivals, create new local jobs tied to cruise tourism, and advance the government’s ongoing push for sustainable, long-term tourism development.

This addition is not an isolated win: it builds on the Dominican Republic’s growing roster of partnerships with major global cruise lines, and reinforces the country’s position as a central strategic hub for Caribbean cruise routes. While at Seatrade Cruise Global, the Dominican Republic’s tourism delegation also held a series of high-level closed-door meetings with other top industry leaders, used the event to showcase the country’s diverse tourism offerings – from tropical beaches to historic cultural sites – and laid the groundwork to attract additional cruise operator partnerships in the coming years, with the ultimate goal of expanding the country’s global visibility in the competitive international cruise market.