Dominican President announces start of bidding process for Santo Domingo Convention Center

Santo Domingo.- Dominican President Luis Abinader announced on Thursday that the government will begin bidding on the construction of the Santo Domingo Convention Center, which has already completed its design phase.

“This is something we have been missing for a long time, and we still have not developed,” Abinader said. “We are opening three major hotels of very well-known international brands this year, but that convention center is the complement that we hope to finish by the end of 2025.”

Speaking at the monthly press conference of the Ministry of Tourism, which released the results of visitor arrivals for December 2023, Abinader underscored the progress made by the government in terms of tourism infrastructure.

In this regard, he highlighted the expansion work in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, to increase thematic attractions, open more museums, and thus increase the flow of tourists to this key destination.

At a macro level, he mentioned the newly inaugurated Puerto Cabo Rojo in Pedernales and said that Miches, a destination that will be the main proposal of the Dominican Republic at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur 2024) in Madrid, Spain, will continue to be developed.

He pointed out that, in this direction, the RD-Vial trust is already in the process of designing a highway that will connect San Pedro de Macorís with Miches.

The evolution of Dominican tourism in terms of resilience, infrastructure, and security, places the sector “at its best moment” to attract foreign investment, according to the president.

He indicated that, despite the fact that the hotel, bar, and restaurant sector was one of the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, its operation kept foreign investors in the country.

The announcement of the start of bidding for the Santo Domingo Convention Center is a major step forward for the Dominican Republic’s tourism sector. The center will be a much-needed addition to the country’s infrastructure and is expected to attract major conventions and events, generating significant economic benefits.

The center is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 and will have a capacity of up to 10,000 people. It will be located in the heart of Santo Domingo, near the Colonial City and the Malecón. The bidding process is expected to begin in the coming months.