The Dominican Republic stands at an economic crossroads. The performance of the economy during the past 15 years clearly demonstrates both its ability to compete effectively in the international market and the inability of tourism and the free trade zones alone to revive sustainable growth. Indeed, a renewal of growth in line with the economy's potential hinges on increasing outward orientation and improving the business climate. Tourism is poised to experience further high growth with the opening of the pristine Southwest Coast as a result of the completion of the Barahona International Airport. The outlook for sugar remains unfavorable, although coffee and cacao will benefit from higher external prices.
Mining is the only traditional activity with a relatively favorable outlook.
In 1994, however, nickel production jumped 89 percent thanks to a turnaround in international prices and is projected to continue to grow over the medium term. In addition, newly-installed technology should enable the production of gold and silver to reach previous peak levels.