According to Minister of Tourism Felix Jiménez, the tourism industry accounts for the largest real estate investment in the country. The tourism industry also represents the largest foreign investment in economic sectors. At the end of 1996, the investment in hotels in this country reached RD$17,899 million, or a total US$1,243 million invested in 35,729 hotel rooms operating in the D.R. Spanish investors own 46 hotels, or 9.5% of the total number of hotels, and13,290 rooms, equivalent to 37.2% of the total rooms in the country. Spanish investors build large hotels. Italian investors are responsible for 13 hotels with 1,357 rooms, or 3.8% of the total rooms. Other nationalities, U.S., Canadian, German, Austrian, French, Cuban-North American, do not individually account for more than 2% of the total number of rooms. Hotel chains operate 20,330 rooms for 56.9% of the total of rooms. Dominican ownership is responsible for 14,621 rooms, or 40.92% of the total. Mixed capital, as registered at the Ministry of Tourism, operates 778 rooms, equivalent to 2.18%.
