Tourism Competitiveness Strategy of the Dominican Republic

Abstract

Tourism is the most important economic activity in the Dominican Republic and quite well could – as it has been the successful experience of other touristic destinations – expand its positive effects towards higher equality in income distribution and also to reduce the levels of poverty.
Given that tourism is the undefeatable engine of economic growth and, above all, an important source of employment with a vast impact on the local communities, it can and should contribute to improve the quality of life of the poorest segments of a country’s population by the means of an inclusive touristic development scheme.
The model’s general strategy to move towards a new phase of competitive and sustained tourism development is outlined in the National Systemic Competitiveness Plan of the Dominican Republic (PNCS-RD), which was presented by the President Dr. Leonel Fernández on March 21st 2007. In this paper we present the general strategy for the diversification of the tourism development in the Dominican Republic.