# Tourism drives DR economic growth: 4.6% IMAE in July

Canonical-URL: https://turismo.news/en/digest/tourism-drives-dr-growth-july
Text-Version: https://turismo.news/en/digest/tourism-drives-dr-growth-july.txt
Markdown-Version: https://turismo.news/en/digest/tourism-drives-dr-growth-july.md
Language: en
Published: 2026-08-28T15:48:02.038Z
Modified: 2026-08-28T15:49:56.175Z
Author: Joan Sanz
Topics: Investment & M&A
Summary: The Central Bank reports tourism pushing Dominican Republic growth. Hotel activity and arrivals set the pace for the economy.

## Article

In the end, the model works. The Central Bank released its monthly economic activity indicator (IMAE) for July and the number confirms what was already being whispered in hotel lobbies: tourism is pulling the cart again. The economy grew 4.6% year-on-year and, according to [Arecoa](https://www.arecoa.com/banca/2026/08/28/banco-central-turismo-impulsa-crecimiento-economico-de-rd-de-4-6-en-julio/), the travel sector is pushing the hardest.

This is not by chance. Air arrivals are hitting record numbers while Punta Cana, Bavaro and the Samana coast are showing occupancy levels we have not seen for a long time. There is a lesson here: the mix of sun, beach and an increasingly professional hotel offering delivers results when other sectors stumble.

My take is clear, tourism is no longer a complement to the DR economy, it is the heart pumping confidence. Investors who bet on refurbishing hotels or adding new brands are on the right side of history. The question now is whether MITUR can sustain this momentum with connectivity policies and agile permitting. Demand is here and the Central Bank figures just confirm that the strategy is winning so far.

## Sources

- Arecoa: https://www.arecoa.com/banca/2026/08/28/banco-central-turismo-impulsa-crecimiento-economico-de-rd-de-4-6-en-julio/

## Citation

Tourism drives DR economic growth: 4.6% IMAE in July. Turismo News. 2026-08-28. https://turismo.news/en/digest/tourism-drives-dr-growth-july