Health Tourism in the Dominican Republic
Innovative tourism to focus on health and conventions. Thirty percent of those who visit the country for medical treatments do so in healthcare centers in the heart of the city, reports the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic.
Alongside the ecotourism benefits offered by the Santiago province, this city is experiencing growth in investments with the development of innovative projects such as health tourism and conventions.
Out of a total of 302,729 international patients seeking these services in the Dominican Republic, around 30 percent arrived in Santiago.
Entrepreneur Manuel Estrella proposed in the Anato Fair in Bogotá, Colombia in February 2023, as well as recently in Fitur, Spain, that Santiago should embark on promoting its city based on these two aspects.
The construction of large hotels, some in the process of being inaugurated like the one being built by the Metropolitan Hospital of Santiago, or those nearing completion, serve to support health tourism and conventions.
Ramón Paulino, from the Ecotourism Cluster, asserts that Santiago is poised to become the hub of health tourism in Central America and the Caribbean, due to several factors contributing to this, such as Santiago’s connection through its Cibao International Airport with key markets to work with this sector, its proximity to the United States, Canada, and Europe.
The Metropolitan Hospital of Santiago and Marriott International signed an agreement for the development of the Homs Health and Wellness Center (HHWC) – Residence Inn by Marriott, a professional tower and hotel that consolidates health tourism for the Northern region.
The HHWC spans 51,000 square meters of construction and will house medical offices in the Professional Tower with internationally designed layouts and several specialized centers in pathologies whose treatments are highly demanded in health tourism such as dentistry, urology, ophthalmology, metabolic and digestive surgery, robotic surgery, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, cellular therapy, among others.
The hotel will have 111 extended-stay wellness rooms for all types of guests needing accommodation on certain occasions. Additionally, it will serve as accommodation for patients in recovery as well as their family members and companions.
Additionally, the complex will have 700 parking spaces, a Convention Center with capacity for 400 seats, auxiliary business lounges, multiple classrooms, event spaces, a gym, and a pool.
In 2022, 262,902 international patients were received in the Dominican Republic, of which 179,085 came for dental treatments; 40,000 for plastic surgery; 26,290 for other surgeries, and 17,527 for outpatient and preventive medicine. This represents 3.7% of the passengers who arrived in the country and came for health and wellness tourism.
Additionally, approximately 75,845 tourists were served for medical tourism purposes. For a total of 338,747 international patients, showing a projection by the end of 2023, of at least a 15% increase from the previous year.
Spaces for business meetings
In Santiago, there is the UTESA Convention and Culture Center, a space for cultural, educational, social, and business dissemination and exchange that promotes human growth and the city’s development as a convention destination, which has more than 20 highly equipped spaces for all kinds of events such as meetings, workshops, fairs, conferences, concerts, and shows, with the capacity to accommodate from 20 to 1,200 people.
Soledad Quartucci | CEO/Founder, Latina Republic
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