IDAC Director attributes goal of 10 million to adding efforts and will under Abinader leadership

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, December 26, 2023. – The general director of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), Héctor Porcella, stated that the goal of 10 million visitors, reached by the country this December 26, has been the result of the sum of efforts and will of all sectors that are part of the national tourism industry, under the leadership of President Abinader.

Porcella congratulated President Abinader, Minister of Tourism David Collado, the private tourism leadership, led by ASONAHORES, and the civil aviation sector, for making possible a goal that just three years ago seemed unattainable.

He said that the president’s decision to create the Tourism Cabinet, as he also did in other areas of public administration, was an accurate and timely strategy to accelerate the recovery of the economic sector with the greatest impact in the Dominican Republic.

“The teamwork led by President Abinader and Minister Collado was a key factor for our country to achieve the feat of leading the recovery of tourism and traffic in Latin America, after the impact of the pandemic,” Porcella noted.

He recalled that last July, President Abinader proclaimed that in 2023 the goal of 10 million would be achieved at the time when he ratified his support for the aviation sector until turning the country into the air hub of the Caribbean and Central America. .

Minister of Tourism received the 10 million visitor

The Minister of Tourism, David Collado, reported that this December 26, the Dominican Republic received its 10 millionth visitor in 2023, which marked an unprecedented milestone in tourism in the country and the entire region.

Collado indicated that the long-awaited figure was reached for the first time in the country’s history thanks to the strategic work developed jointly between the public and private sectors, as well as the vision of President Luis Abinader and the trust that the president placed in professionals. of the ministry to carry out unprecedented work.

According to the figures presented, in an event held at the Punta Cana International Airport, the Dominican Republic managed to exceed 10 million visitors thanks to an arrival of 7,863,542 tourists who arrived by air, plus some 2,168,209 cruise passengers who arrived in the country by air. maritime.

“Reaching 10 million tourists between air and cruise ships is a fact that should fill the entire country with pride, regardless of political flags, since each of these visitors are friends of the country who contribute to development, employment, to the countryside, to construction and for the country’s entire productive apparatus to continue growing,” said Collado.

MITUR presented the figures of the economic impact that tourism has had this year in the Dominican Republic, having more than 620 thousand direct jobs and an estimated generation of foreign exchange of more than 11 billion dollars.

The Dominican Republic is the country that has grown the most in tourist arrivals in the entire Caribbean region from 2019 to date, going from 6.4 million visitors to more than 10 million; It has also been recognized on several occasions by different international organizations as the number 1 country in terms of post-COVID tourism recovery.