Dominican Republic Country Info: Economy
Tourism
The D.R. relies heavily on tourism, noticeably near the beautiful beaches on the north coast. However, because of currency fluctuations and especially the 9-11 attack, tourism has been way down. Perhaps this has partly resulted in the government’s inability to pay for resources that power the electrical power grid of the nation. As a result, lighting is extremely sporadic. Sometimes electricity is only on for a few hours of the day…sometimes not at all. Most hotels are equipped now with their own generators…driving prices higher and driving more tourists away.
Agriculture
Banana exports as well as processing and exporting of sugar is another backbone of the Dominican economy. This agricultural industry relies heavily on migrant workers from Haiti who work literally for the meager food they are able to buy in return for their labor. Unemployment is high, and except for tourist areas and urban business districts, there remains a crippling poverty for many. When confronted with the sight of the truly needy, teams have realized they have taken a step into another world in which answers are few-and-far-between.