Haydee Rainieri, member of the board of directors of Grupo Puntacana, expects the tourism industry in the Dominican Republic to continue to be the leading provider of hard currency into the next decade. As guest speaker for the American Chamber of Commerce luncheon on 20 June 2024, Rainieri also spoke of how artificial intelligence is becoming the go to tool for the industry and can strengthen the country’s positioning as a leader in the tourism sector.
In her presentation entitled “The Tourism Industry and Artificial Intelligence,” Rainieri addressed the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence (AI) for the future of tourism in the Dominican Republic. She called for more in the country to immerse themselves in the new technologies.
“Throughout time, the tourism industry has proven to be highly resilient and that human beings are not willing to give up traveling. Therefore, we would dare to affirm that the short- and medium-term economic future of the Dominican Republic will continue to be based on the tourism industry as long as we can adapt to the changes and needs of travelers, and to the challenges posed by digitalization or the threat of climate change,” she said.
The businesswoman underlined the need to modernize the tourism industry through the implementation of new digital technologies, both at the government and private levels. She highlighted the transformative impact of AI in various sectors, including tourism, and pointed out that its application will be essential to redefine travel and tourism standards.
Rainieri explained how AI can significantly improve the traveler experience through personalized recommendations, optimized pricing strategies, and instant responses via sophisticated chatbots. In addition, AI allows for predicting demand patterns and obtaining crucial information for governments and stakeholders, facilitating more efficient resource allocation.
She mentioned the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association recently released the Artificial Intelligence Transformation Guide for regional tourism businesses.
She expressed confidence that the tourism industry will continue to be a major driver of growth, yet called for the industry stakeholders to continue to adapt to meet the changing needs of travelers.
Rainieri explained that AI is already impacting the tourism sector, allowing users to find personalized travel ideas, reduce restaurant wait times, minimize hotel waste, optimize airport traffic, make predictions, and raise efficiency levels.
Rainieri made a call to action, emphasizing that the Dominican tourism industry is at a turning point and must move forward and adapt to the new demands, taking advantage of the tools that AI offers. She expressed her confidence that the Dominican tourism industry will meet the new international demands in the short term, remaining an undisputed leader and preferred destination for millions of travelers.
Edwin De los Santos, president of AmChamDR, stated: “At AmChamDR, we recognize that artificial intelligence (AI) is a transformative tool for the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry. The application of AI will not only further boost tourism in our country but will also significantly improve the user experience. It is crucial that both the public and private sectors collaborate and invest in research and development to make the most of these opportunities. We are confident that, by adapting to these advances, the Dominican tourism industry will continue to be a leader and preferred destination for millions of travelers.”
Tourism is a vital and rapidly growing sector of the Dominican Republic’s economy. In 2023, the country welcomed over 10 million tourists, making it the most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean and one of the top 5 in the Americas. The tourism industry accounts for 11.6% of the nation’s GDP and is a particularly important source of revenue in coastal areas.
Read more in Spanish:
AmCham
CHTA Artificial Intelligence Transformation Guide
25 June 2024