For a sector to be considered relevant, it must generate jobs, foreign exchange and attract foreign investment. These elements make the travel and tourism industry the ideal focus for achieving sustainable development in Caribbean nations. Of the 289 million jobs generated by the industry, 50% are jobs occupied by women and 30% by young people. That is, 114.5 million and 86 million, respectively.
Given this reality, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) affirms that the travel and tourism sector is a key driver of socioeconomic development and job creation on a global scale. “However, actions must be strengthened to encourage greater participation of young people who, with their talent and knowledge of the increasingly dynamic and modern world, add to the sector and its potential development,” says WTTC president Julia Simpson.
In the Dominican Republic, the situation is not very different. The Dominican Central Bank (BC) indicates that 4,529,022 people are in the labor market. Of this amount, 2,299,120 are unregulated jobs and 2,229,902 are formal jobs.
In recent years, the share of jobs in the hotels, bars, and restaurants sector has shown sustainable growth in recent years. The sector contributed 8.5% of the total jobs (4,529,022) registered in January-March 2023, that is, 189,219 (formal) and 198,992 (informal), according to data from the Dominican Central Bank (BC).
For the first quarter of 2015 and 2016, the data showed a decrease of 0.4%, going from 140,665 to 140,022. Meanwhile, in 2017 they stood at 140,743 jobs. In January-March 2018 they amounted to 157,368, in 2019 about 167,085 and 2020 was set at 177,957. In 2021, the number of employees was 110,457 and in 2022 about 154,209, which means that 43,752 new jobs were created in formality.
In addition, the state entity indicates that in this productive line the income per hour varies between DR$32.8 and DR$396.4, the average being DR$97.7.
“Companies that have 50% women in their leadership earn more money, this makes even more sense in travel, where they make the purchasing decisions on where to go on vacation,” explains the executive. For Simpson, putting women at the center of the travel and tourism stage will ensure a better future for the global economy.
Source: Eldinero.com