The Dominican Republic is the Latin American country that is currently receiving the greatest share of tourism revenues as a percentage of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to Latinvex, an online website, which used data from the World Tourism Organization and the International Monetary Fund for its analysis.
Last year’s tourism revenues, which topped US$4.5 billion, represented 7.7% of the country’s GDP.
No other country in Latin America experienced such high numbers. Panama and Costa Rica followed with 6.2% and 5.4%, respectively.
The number of visitors to the Dominican Republic represents the 40.3% of the country’s population, which is the third highest rate in Latin America behind Uruguay (69.6%) and Costa Rica (45%), according Latinvex.
Tourists spend an average of US $997 during their visit to the Dominican Republic, significantly above the Latin American average of US$860.
In total, the Dominican Republic ranks fourth as the top receiver of tourism revenue, and the fourth most important destination in Latin America behind Mexico (the leader in both categories), Brazil and Argentina.
