Official data · November 1, 2026

Is tourism the largest part of the Dominican Republic's economy? Hotels, bars and restaurants were 8.33 % of GDP in 2025, in fourth place

In 2025 hotels, bars and restaurants generated RD$657,560.2 million, 8.33 % of the Dominican Republic's GDP at current prices. Construction (12.52 %), trade (11.78 %) and local manufacturing (9.23 %) were larger, according to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD). Shares are Economía con Datos calculations with the source's data.

Radial chart with each activity's share of Dominican GDP in 2025: construction 12.52 %, trade 11.78 %, local manufacturing 9.23 %, hotels, bars and restaurants 8.33 %. — Photo: Gráfico: Economía con Datos con datos del Banco Central.

On Sundays, Economía con Datos tests a common claim against official figures. Today: "tourism is the largest part of the Dominican economy." The Central Bank's GDP-by-activity table has no line called "tourism"; the closest is hotels, bars and restaurants. Tourist spending also reaches transport and trade, but the table does not separate it.

What the data say

In 2025 hotels, bars and restaurants generated RD$657,560.2 million out of a GDP of RD$7,897,551.3 million: 8.33 % of GDP, or RD$8.33 of every RD$100. It ranked fourth, behind construction (RD$989,100.0 million, 12.52 %), trade (RD$930,203.1 million, 11.78 %) and local manufacturing (RD$728,808.8 million, 9.23 %). Free-trade zones, counted separately, were 3.04 %.

Punta Cana beach with hotels and palm trees in the background — Punta Cana beach, La Altagracia province. Photo: CT Cooper / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Since 2005

The activity's share was 9.03 % in 2005 (second place) and 8.02 % in 2015 (sixth). Its highest share since 1991 was 10.86 % in 2004. In 2020 it fell 42.65 % to RD$209,563.0 million and its share dropped to 4.72 %; it then rose every year, to 8.29 % in 2024 and 8.33 % in 2025.

Peso figures are the Central Bank's (2018 reference; 2021 onward preliminary). Shares, rankings and changes are Economía con Datos calculations.

Source: Banco Central de la República Dominicana (document in Spanish).

This is an English summary by Economía con Datos. Read the full article in Spanish.

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Is tourism the largest part of the Dominican Republic's economy? Hotels, bars and restaurants were 8.33 % of GDP in 2025, in fourth place

What the data say

Since 2005

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