Expert says the Dominican Republic's tourism sector faces urgent challenges that must be addressed.

SANTO DOMINGO. - Tourism in the Dominican Republic faces urgent challenges that require attention, including sustainability and environmental preservation, territorial planning, staff training, diversification of the offering, and updating the legal framework that regulates the sector.

This was stated by Magaly Toribio, a graduate in Hotel Management, recognized for contributing to the promotion and development of the country's tourism sector, when giving the conference "Needs and opportunities of the tourism sector", held in the Social Security Auditorium of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).

During his presentation, he stated that the overexploitation of natural resources and beach pollution represent significant threats. In response to this problem, he recommended efficient water and waste management, as well as the development of a more environmentally friendly tourism model.

"Our country must be a smart tourist destination. A smart tourist destination must be innovative, it must be consolidated on cutting-edge technological infrastructure, and that's where all the technological aspects come in, ensuring the destination's sustainable development, accessible to all.

Regarding planning, he maintained that, with the accelerated growth of hotel infrastructure, strategic planning is essential to ensure a balance between tourism supply and demand.

Regarding employee training and development, a shortage of qualified personnel in key areas of the sector was identified, which affects the competitiveness of Dominican tourism. In this regard, the need to strengthen technical and university education in hospitality and tourism was highlighted.

Toribio, stated that the tourist offer must bediversified and ir mBeyond sun and beach tourism, develop segments such as cultural, gastronomic, ecological, and adventure tourism, as well as strengthen meetings and conventions tourism.

Another aspect he mentioned was the updating of the legal framework. which regulates the sector, especially the Tourism Law, to adapt it to new market challenges and trends.

“For many years, since 1969, the Basic Law of the Tourism Sector has not been updated, which makes many of the regulations, including those of the Ministry of Tourism for issuing permits to travel agencies, for example, tour operators, and others, quite outdated,” he said.

He noted that the Territorial Planning Law for the Tourism Sector also needs to be updated, as does Law 158-01 for the Promotion of Tourism Development.

The future of Dominican tourism

The event also served as a space to discuss innovation opportunities, such as the digitalization of tourism services and the use of artificial intelligence to improve the visitor experience. The potential of film as a tourism promotion tool was also highlighted, aligning audiovisual productions with a country branding strategy.

Toribio concluded his remarks by highlighting the importance of moving from theory to action. “We must stop talking about sustainability and start implementing it. It's not just about welcoming more tourists, but about attracting higher-quality tourism, with greater economic impact and less environmental impact,” he stated.

The event was organized by INTEC's Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, and was attended by Rosario Aróstegui, Vice-Rector for Research and Outreach; Dalul Ordehi, Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities; and Samuel Bonilla, a professor at the academy.