标签： Dominican Republic

In a landmark move for Caribbean tourism, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic have formalized a strategic partnership with a combined $2 million investment aimed at revolutionizing regional travel. The agreement, signed by Puerto Rican Governor Jennifer González and Dominican Tourism Minister David Collado at the FITUR 2026 international fair in Madrid, establishes the “Together we are the Caribbean” promotional campaign.

The initiative will unfold in two strategic phases: initially targeting European markets followed by a comprehensive push in the United States. The campaign’s core proposition leverages the remarkable 40-minute flight connectivity between the islands, encouraging tourists to experience two distinct Caribbean cultures within a single trip.

Minister Collado emphasized the historical significance of this collaboration, noting that Latin American tourism authorities have contemplated such integration for over two decades. “This promotion always remained in theory and never in execution,” Governor González acknowledged, highlighting how the partnership evolved from informal discussions to concrete implementation following high-level diplomatic engagements.

The infrastructure supporting this initiative includes robust air connectivity through carriers JetBlue, Frontier, and Arajet, complemented by existing Caribbean Ferries service and prospective expansion with Balearia’s planned Mayagüez-San Pedro de Macorís route. Beyond marketing, the agreement includes strategies to reduce overall travel costs and enhance maritime transportation options.

The official campaign launch will be presided over by Dominican President Luis Abinader, with specific dates to be announced. This bilateral effort represents a paradigm shift in Caribbean tourism, moving from competitive isolation to collaborative promotion that benefits both nations’ economies and cultural exchange.

The Punta Bergantín tourism development in Puerto Plata is poised to become a transformative economic force, with projections indicating it will generate approximately 600 million pesos in payroll across its initial three hotels. According to Andrés Marranzini, General Manager of the project, this ambitious initiative will employ 2,000 people from the local community of 35,000 inhabitants, with development planned across a 10-15 year timeframe.

Major international hotel chains including Hyatt, Westin, Marriott, and Meliá are leading the development, which ultimately aims to feature nine hotels totaling over 4,500 rooms. The project is designed to create a premier tourist destination that emphasizes harmonious coexistence with the natural environment while driving significant economic benefits for the region.

Marranzini revealed these details during the 2026 International Tourism Fair (Fitur), emphasizing that the project’s scale would not overshadow its community benefits. “We require 6,500 employees in the first phase alone,” he stated. “If we can source at least half from Montellano, it will represent a transformative element for an area that previously lacked this magnitude of payroll.”

Construction of the initial hotels is scheduled to commence in 2026, with operations targeted for the 2027-2028 high season. The first phase will include three hotels, 240 residential plots, a golf course, beach club, and clubhouse, all expected to be operational by mid-2028. Marranzini noted that some elements might be completed earlier, but the comprehensive development would not extend beyond summer 2028.

The project incorporates strict architectural guidelines emphasizing Victorian design principles across its nine million square kilometer property, including six million square kilometers of beachfront. Marranzini explained that plot owners will have 24 months to begin construction following acquisition, all adhering to a unified development code that prevents arbitrary design choices.

With 11 architects currently working on the integrated tourism and real estate project, the development will feature beach apartments and completed homes in a carefully managed process designed to maintain property values and investor returns. The invitation extended to 30 investment funds at Fitur 2026 underscores the project’s significant economic potential while maintaining focus on community transformation and environmental sustainability.

Industry executives from leading global travel organizations have identified the Dominican Republic as the Caribbean’s next pivotal tourism hub, citing its unique combination of scale, infrastructure, and economic maturity. This assessment was delivered at the III BHD Tourism and Investment Forum during Fitur 2026 in Madrid.

Salim Arkuch, Vice President and General Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean at Expedia Group, articulated that the nation possesses the necessary assets to function as a regional anchor for sustainable tourism development and large-scale capital investment. He emphasized the country’s superior air connectivity, extensive hotel capacity, and well-consolidated tourism economy as critical advantages.

These foundational strengths position the Dominican Republic as an ideal gateway and dispersion point for the growing trend of multi-destination travel within the Caribbean. This model, often referred to as ‘hotel hopping’ or ‘multi-stay trips,’ is perfectly aligned with the nation’s operational capabilities, allowing tourists to experience multiple destinations within a single itinerary.

Echoing the strategic importance of the sector, Christopher Imbsen, Vice President of Public Policy at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), addressed the forum. He underscored that tourism constitutes approximately 18% of the Caribbean’s regional GDP, establishing it as a primary economic driver. Consequently, Imbsen stressed that integrating tourism into national development planning is no longer optional but an essential prerequisite for sustainable growth. This holistic approach necessitates that policy decisions on transportation, housing, energy, land use, and human capital development are made in concert with the sector’s strategic needs, rather than in isolation.

The Dominican Republic’s entrepreneurial landscape faces a transformative inflection point with the implementation of Ley 47‑25, the new Public Procurement Law effective January 2026. This legislative overhaul replaces the previous Law 340‑06, moving beyond procedural adjustments to mandate that 30% of all government contracts—amounting to approximately $673 million from the $2.245 billion Pro-Pedernales Trust—must be allocated to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MIPYMEs).

While superficially appearing as a compliance requirement, this mandate represents a fundamental structural shift with severe operational implications. The southern region, particularly Cabo Rojo, stands at a critical crossroads where this policy could either catalyze economic innovation or trigger a coordination crisis. The law imposes stringent penalties for non-compliance, including fines ranging from 500 to 5,000 monthly public sector minimum wages and potential permanent closure of establishments for severe violations. Notably, Article 20 criminalizes collusion with prison sentences of 2–5 years, effectively eliminating shell company schemes and overlapping consortiums previously used to secure contracts.

The successful implementation hinges on developing execution architecture capable of rapidly scaling hundreds of SMEs to meet contracting modalities such as the Asociación para la Innovación partnership model. This creates both unprecedented opportunity and substantial risk—without proper operational frameworks, projects face delays, quality compromises, and reputational damage.

Strategic analysts emphasize that Cabo Rojo must evolve beyond traditional tourism development to become an exportable intellectual property engine, leveraging the global Dominican diaspora and digital nomad talent pool. Dominican FinTech, CleanTech, SaaS, and IP ventures now have a historic opportunity to demonstrate operational readiness and transform regulatory mandates into market advantages. The ultimate success of this initiative will depend on converting policy requirements into predictable, scalable outcomes that position the Dominican Republic as a competitive player in global innovation markets.