Santo Domingo Tourism and Business Groups Join Forces

The Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce and the Santo Domingo Tourism Cluster have formalized a partnership to connect the city’s business community more closely with its tourism sector, with the goal of creating new commercial opportunities and supporting sustainable urban development.

The agreement was signed by Chamber president Lucile Houellemont and Tourism Cluster president Juan Manuel Martín de Oliva. Under the arrangement, both organizations will facilitate institutional and business connections, exchange information, identify areas for cooperation and develop joint initiatives within their respective areas of expertise.

Stronger Links Between Tourism and Local Businesses

The partnership will include networking opportunities, meetings, working groups and knowledge-sharing activities. The organizations will also identify potential joint projects designed to connect companies in Santo Domingo with opportunities generated by the tourism economy.

Houellemont said the agreement would help coordinate actions to make Santo Domingo more attractive for tourism and business, while generating additional benefits for companies already operating in the city.

Martín de Oliva emphasized the broader economic reach of tourism, noting that its benefits extend beyond businesses directly involved in travel and hospitality. Greater connections between tourism companies and other local businesses could strengthen supply chains and expand the sector’s contribution to Santo Domingo’s economy.

Santo Domingo’s Tourism Development Strategy

The agreement comes as Santo Domingo continues to develop its position as an urban destination in the Caribbean. The city combines its historic center, cultural attractions, gastronomy and business infrastructure, giving tourism activity potential links with a wide range of local industries and services. For readers following these developments alongside broader Dominican Republic news, the city’s tourism strategy provides an important window into how the capital is positioning itself as a destination for visitors, events and business.

The Tourism Cluster has identified several priorities for the destination, including positioning Santo Domingo as the Caribbean’s gastronomic capital, expanding its potential as a meetings and conventions destination, and promoting the city’s historic and urban attractions.

For international visitors, a stronger connection between tourism and the wider business community can contribute to a more integrated destination experience. It can also create opportunities for local companies to participate in the economic activity generated by visitors, events and tourism-related investment.

Joint Activities and Business Opportunities

The agreement provides a framework for the two organizations to coordinate future initiatives rather than limiting their cooperation to a single project. Their teams will be able to structure specific projects based on their institutional capabilities, objectives and areas of expertise.

Representatives attending the signing included Fantino Polanco, executive vice president of the Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce, and Fabeth Martínez, executive director of the Tourism Cluster, along with technical representatives from both organizations.

The Chamber of Commerce focuses on facilitating business activity in Santo Domingo and supporting companies throughout their life cycles, from creation and consolidation to expansion. Its partnership with the Tourism Cluster creates a channel for closer interaction between the city’s business community and one of its most internationally visible economic sectors.

As the two organizations move toward joint activities and projects, the agreement could provide a broader platform for networking, knowledge exchange and business collaboration across Santo Domingo’s tourism ecosystem.