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he DR has one of the fastest growing economies in the Caribbean. Over the past two years of economic recession, the country managed to maintain its political and macroeconomic stability and its exceptional conditions for investment and international trade. Domestic and international investors in the DR know they can count on the legal guarantees granted by our free trade agreements with the US and the EU through the respective DR-CAFTA and EPA agreements.
Tourism paradise Francisco Javier García, Minister of Tourism
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Challenges & opportunities Haydee Kuret de Rainieri Former President of ASONAHORES & VP Hospitality & Human Resources of Grupo Puntacana
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Invest in Samana Juan Bancalari Brugal President Puerto Bahia & Dominican Real Estate Association
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Business tourism in Santo Domingo Ventura Serra Senior VP Operations DR & Cuba
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A growing tourist destination Enrique de Marchena Former President CHTA Managing Partner DMK Lawyers Investing in tourism Pablo Piñero Founder & President of Grupo Piñero The origins of luxury Alfonso Paniagua President Costasur Dominicana, Casa de Campo The Punta Cana dream Frank Rainieri President & CEO of Grupo Puntacana Luxury upgrade Luis Emilio Velutini President & Founder Velutini Group Puerto Plata Round Table
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Environmental protection & capital investment in the DR Juan Mejia Environmental Policies & Management specialized Lawyer, DMK Responsible tourism Adriana Cisneros de Griffin Vice Chairman and Director of Strategy, Cisneros Group of Companies Chief Executive Officer, Tropicalia President, Fundación Cisneros
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Cruise destination Sharon Mei Sans Souci Commercial Director
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Yachting Giannfranco Fini, Yacht Club Manager Marina Casa de Campo
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The DR as a premier Caribbean golf destination Efren Garcia Estrada Director of The Cap Cana Championship 2008 – 2010
The Dominican Republic offers a modern transportation infrastructure, with international airports, three recently renewed airfields, an extensive road network, advanced telecommunications infrastructure and a skilled, qualified and largely bilingual labor force. According to the WTO we are the Caribbean leader in both tourism and large infrastructure facilities. Among its several investment incentives, the country has an International Investment Law that grants equal rights to foreigners, with tax exemptions to retirees who choose to establish residency in the DR. Tourism Law 158-01 provides fiscal exemptions to tourism projects and allows refurbishing and re-equipment of five-year-old projects, ensuring competitiveness and return on investments. Thanks to a confluence of natural beauty, excellent climate and the kindness of the Dominicans, the surplus value of real estate makes the DR an excellent place to invest and get a healthy return, shelter savings and enjoy a second home.
Francisco Javier García Minister of Tourism
Photo: Casa Bonita Tropical Lodge
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According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, accumulated FDI from 1993 to 2010 reached US$ 3,300 million. With the addition of US$ 2,622 million in real estate investment in the same time period, since most of the investment has been made in tourist zones, tourism sector FDI accounts for about one-third of the country’s total incoming FDI.
The country is fully capable of attracting international investment, offering a strategic geographic location, in the heart of the North and South American hemispheres, rapid access to Western markets and established industrial free trade zones to take advantage of the lower costs of our ports and international airports. We are the largest worldwide producer of premium cigars, and leading exporter of high-quality organic cacao and bananas.
With an average of 4.01 million tourists arriving annually between 2007 and 2010, tourism is the economic powerhouse of the Dominican Republic and one of the FDI highlights. In 2009 only 63 shovelready projects were approved, totaling
Tourism paradise Tourism is one of the pillars of the Dominican economy, with an estimated 25% of the nation’s GDP For 2010, Central Bank figures show a 3.3% increase in tourism arrivals over 2009, totaling 4,124,543 arrivals and generating almost US$4.24 billion in foreign exchange
US$15,300 million in investment for the next ten years. Out of the 154 approved projects between 2008 and 2010, 72 will be based on the country’s eastern shore, 41 in the southern region, 37 in the northern areas and four in the nation’s central zone. The Dominican Republic has over 65,000 hotel rooms with an average annual occupancy rate of 68.1%. Along with its main tourist destinations (Puerto Plata, Costa Caribe, Punta Cana, Constanza, Samana, Barahona, Montecristi and Bani) the country offers the greatest biodiversity in the Caribbean. Endless beaches, tall mountains, dense jungles, arid deserts and waterfalls coexist in this magic land. A port network and high-end signature golf courses position the DR as a leading Caribbean golf destination. Our vital musical heritage and fine cuisine help make ours a rich, diverse culture that is well worth getting to know. The DR offers investors not only an adequate legal framework to develop projects but also a variety of different regions with unique tourism potential. Our country is more than sun, palm trees and white sand. Santo Domingo, the capital city, combines modern sophistication with the historic resonance of the 15th century and the passion of Latin America. Our city was chosen by the International Bureau of Cultural Capitals as the 2010 American Capital of Culture. The old town or Colonial Zone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the place where the New World began. Old, narrow, wellpreserved cobbled streets lead you among buildings from those early years. Dominican cuisine is another of the country’s attractions, a reflection of the European and African heritage that have permeated our social and cultural DNA. Security, well-being, joy and culture is what the Dominican Republic offers at each of its destinations. We have 22 Tourism Promotion offices worldwide to promote our country and help you choose the DR as an investment destination in the hope that it will soon become your next home. The Dominican Republic is the treasure of the Caribbean. It is a place full of promise for doing business, offering investment security and welcoming new ventures with open arms and the warmth and the joy of the Dominican people.
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