Dominican Republic, not only a beautiful vacation getaway destination, is a fantastic place to invest and settle down. Here are some facts about investing in paradise.

1. Why Paradise Is
the Perfect Place
to Invest Your
MoneyBy Gisel
Olivares

2. • The Dominican Republic takes up
two-thirds of the Hispaniola, an
island it shares with Haiti on the
western side.
• After Cuba, it is the second
largest Caribbean island.
• English is broadly spoken in the
Dominican Republic, but Spanish
is the official language.
• It has one of the most mixed
tourism sectors in both the
Caribbean and Central America.
Ever wondered what it
would be like to invest
your money in
paradise?

3. Composed of many
historical sites, various
national parks, and rich
vegetation, the country
has diverse landscapes
spanning from high
mountains to its famous
white beaches and
mangroves, along with 16
national parks.

4. Hospitality &
Tourism
• As of July 2016, the Dominican Republic
consisted of a total of 69,816 hotel rooms.
• In 2015, 75.5 percent of hotel rooms were
occupied, which was a larger amount than
that of the whole Caribbean.
• In
addition, GoDominicanRepublic.com stated a
predicted increase of 18,000 new hotel rooms
in 2019 with investments valued at $2 billion
and 55 new hotel projects.

5. Tourism
• Most air traffic into the country comes from
the Punta Cana International Airport
(PUJ).
• This is followed by Santo Domingo’s Las
Americas International Airport (SDQ) and
Puerto Plata’s Gregorio Luperón
International Airport (POP).
• A tourist visa is not required by nine
different nationalities and 145 countries.
• Furthermore, those visiting from Canada
and the United States, only need to buy a
tourist card once they arrive.

6. Tourism Growth
• Early in 2016, the Dominican
Republic also reported a 5.8
percent increase across all tourism
sectors, which was increasing more
rapidly than the total rate of the
Caribbean at 3.7 percent.
• Almost all the visitors arriving in
D.R. come from the United States
and Canada.
• In 2015, there were 2 million
visitors from the U.S. and 780,000
from Canada.

7. Tourism
Growth
continued…
• 4.5 million tourists arrived in
the Dominican Republic by
plane in 2015
o This encouraged a 22.7
percent tourism growth
with the visitors totaling
up to 5.6 million, per
Central Bank data
gathered by listin.com.do.
• Per the National hotels and
Tourism
Association (ASONAHORES),
hoteliers purchased
approximately 22.4 billion
pesos’ worth of beverages,
cigarettes, cigars, and food.
o As well as other
domestically produced
items.

8. Real Estate
Why Invest in the Dominican Republic?
• According to Live and Invest Overseas, the
Dominican Republic has had the fastest
growing economy in the Americas for the past
three years.
• This growth has been largely thanks to the
approximately 60% of 6 million tourists per
year, coming from North America.
• The other majority of visitors arrive from
Europe and also invest in hospitality, tourism,
and real estate.

9. Business-
Friendly
• Despite competitive numbers, there is
still room for growth and investment in
D.R.
• D.R. is a business-friendly country, full
of advantages and amazing tax
incentives.
• These are the most popular fields of
work that benefit from these
opportunities:
o Agriculture
o Call centers
o Infrastructure
o Manufacturing
o Renewable energy
o Software development
o Telecommunications
o & tourism of course

10. Foreign
Investment Laws
• Since the country is dedicated to
the progress of tourism, starting a
business within the industry may
make you eligible for tax “breaks”
for the following 10 years on
income taxes, VAT, real estate
transfers, property tax, import
duties, etc.
• The great thing about being a
foreign investor in D.R. is that
under the law, you receive the
same treatment and rights as a
local investor.
oThe only exception is
political involvement.

11. • As a foreigner, you can
invest in real estate
under your own name,
and freely sustain
ownership in joint
endeavors and native
businesses.
• Investments in hotels and
resorts, that are five
years or older, are not
liable to taxes and duties
connected to the
purchase of appliances,
furniture, and materials
needed to update those
properties.
• Investments in hotels and
resorts, that are five
years or older, are not
liable to taxes and duties
connected to the
purchase of appliances,
furniture, and materials

12. Apart from
Tourism…
• Other than tourism, the
renewable energy sector
has been another prime
concern of the Dominican
government.
• No taxes are placed on
earnings coming from the
creation and sale of
electricity, hot water, steam
power, biofuels or synthetic
fuels produced by
renewable energy sources.
• In addition, there are no
customs duties on the
import of any gear needed
to set up businesses like

13. Property Market
Powered by
Tourism
• Due to tourism, the real estate market
prices have been increasing consistently
after the global economic crisis of 2008
– 2009.
• In recent years, property prices in the
Dominican Republic have been
increasing by 10% every year, but it
continues to be one of the most
affordable real estate markets in the
Caribbean.
• Foreign investors get a 50% relief from
property tax, as well as mortgages.
• There is also exemption provided on
payment of taxes for household and
personal items and property transfers.

14. Dominant
Areas for
Investment
and U.S.
Export
• Air Conditioning and
Refrigeration Equipment
• Automobile Parts and
Services
• Building Products
• Hotel and Restaurant
Equipment
• Medical Equipment
• Renewable Energy
• Sporting Goods
• Printing and Graphic Art
Equipment and Supplies
• Safety and Security
Equipment and Supplies
• Telecommunication
Equipment

15. Business Etiquette
• The Dominican Republic is a great place to
invest in hospitality, tourism, and real estate.
• Learning how to earn the trust of a Dominican
business person, is very important.
• In-person meetings are popular since it
allows them to examine your personality
and decide whether they see a possibility
of working with you.
• Dominicans value trust above most qualities.
• While Dominicans may not always be
punctual, it is still recommended for you to
arrive at these meetings on time.
• First impressions are everything!

16. Meeting
s
• Give firm handshakes,
and greet the person
you are meeting with
according to the time of
day.
• For example, say
“Buenos días” or
“Buenas tardes.”
• Meetings are usually
held in the morning and
business lunches in the
afternoon in a restaurant
close to the company.

17. Meetings Continued…
• Do not jump straight into
business!
• Remember, since
they value trust, it is
important for them to
get to know you on a
personal level.
• It is not wrong for you to
ask them about their
personal life.

18. Parting
Words…
• As aforementioned, English
is widely spoken, but you
should still provide all
materials translated to
Spanish, including your
business card.
• There are many benefits
and flexibility provided to
those who invest in
hospitality, tourism, and real
estate in the Dominican
Republic.
• It seems like the time is
better than ever to get
away from the bad weather,
and high taxes by escaping

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This slide deck was adapted from an article on our blog.