“Here we learned everything”: RIU's commitment to the Dominican Republic, where it consolidated its international tourism vision

The company paid RD 65 million dollars last year in taxes

Santo Domingo. - The international hotel chain RIU Hotels & Resorts, which currently has a presence in 22 countries and records an annual turnover of 4 billion euros, is very clear about where it built its success in the American continent: the Dominican Republic. In a recent interview, Albert Puig Pascual, Director of Communications and Institutional Relations of the group, during an outreach meeting with Dominican journalists and communicators, revealed how the Caribbean country went from being its first incursion in America to becoming the great "school" that defined its global model of large resorts.

The Great School of the Hotel Model and the True "All Inclusive"

For this company of Mallorcan origin, the Dominican Republic is much more than a beach destination; it is the core where they forged their most valuable knowledge in the tourism industry. Although the founding family learned the basic business in Mallorca and the Canary Islands, the leap to true large-scale hotel management took place in the Caribbean. "In the Dominican Republic, we learned to understand America, in the Dominican Republic, we learned to build large hotels, in the Dominican Republic, we learned all-inclusive," explains Puig Pascual. In fact, the executive assures that the operational concept of hotels in places like Miami, Mexico, or Aruba was born from the knowledge acquired in the Caribbean country 35 years ago. "In the Dominican Republic, we have learned everything," he states.

Part of this learning consolidated its strict transparency policy with the client. Puig was emphatic in explaining that the chain perfected the integral concept of the resort without hidden charges: "Don't deceive the client, when you tell him everything included, everything in Spanish is everything […] if you say everything included, everything is included".

Furthermore, due to its enviable geographical position, the country now functions as the company's main training center or hub, where they train managers and deputy directors from across the region.

America's "thermometer" and a contribution of 65 million dollars

The impact of the chain in the Dominican Republic translates into compelling figures. RIU operates five immense hotels in the country, offering about 4,500 rooms and employing 3,800 workers, which makes Dominicans the third most important labor community globally for the company.

Its contribution to the local economy is massive. Puig revealed that the chain paid "65 million dollars last year in taxes, in the Dominican Republic". In addition to this direct injection of capital to the government, there is what the company calls its "social cash flow", consisting of the payment of salaries to those thousands of employees and the constant purchases from local suppliers.

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Due to this specific weight, the corporation monitors the country with clinical attention. "The Dominican destination is super important. It's a kind of thermometer. When the Dominican Republic is doing well, America is doing well," says the director, explaining that the nation is very sensitive to factors such as connectivity, crises or taxes, setting the pace for the entire region.

Tourism Resilience of the DR and the Certainty of Continuing to "Reign in the Caribbean"

The chain does not ignore recent challenges, especially the hard blow that the COVID-19 represented, an event that forced RIU to "close 100 hotels, lay off 40,000 workers" temporarily. However, the biggest lesson from the crisis was the unwavering strength of tourism. According to Puig, "the pandemic put vacations at the top of everything", as people have decided that they need to travel and disconnect above acquiring other goods. With a very high current occupancy that ranges between 88% and 95% in the Dominican Republic, driven mainly by the US market, RIU's outlook is extremely positive. The multinational blindly trusts in the future of the island, as long as stable rules of the game for investment are maintained.

"I see it with optimism, that is, as long as there is clear legislation for the investor," Puig pointed out. As a closing remark, he reaffirmed the destination's leadership position with a resounding phrase: "Dominicana, where the gross domestic product depends so much on tourism, if it moves intelligently, will continue to reign in the Caribbean, as it reigned in the past."

RIU strengthens ties with media

The chain held its first meeting with journalists from 20 local and national media outlets in the Dominican Republic, with the aim of strengthening ties of approach and relationship with press representatives. During the day, executives, directors and journalists participated in various activities designed to publicize the amenities and experiences offered by the chain in the country. The program included a fellowship dinner at the Riu Palace Bavaro with RIU executives both globally and from the Dominican Republic, specifically from the areas of Communication, Operations and Sales.

Media representatives toured the Riu Palace Bavaro and Riu Palace Macao hotels, where they were able to get a close look at the facilities, services, and entertainment offerings of both tourist complexes, as well as see firsthand the major changes made to the facilities after the latest renovations.

As part of the experience, guests also enjoyed the renowned Riu Party, one of the chain's main entertainment offerings for its guests. The Riu Palace Bávaro, a hotel that reopened its doors in August 2024 after a complete renovation, hosted these days of conviviality. After its renovation, the hotel incorporated important novelties in service and product, such as the implementation of the Elite Club, the creation of an exclusive area for families and groups of friends, as well as a modern food court with a varied gastronomic offer that complements the wide selection of restaurants in the establishment, leaving a total of 32 points of consumption throughout the establishment.