That was the impressive news relayed by Felix Jimenez, the island's tourism minister, based on official projections.

He also made mention of the massive investments that the government has made into developing the most popular tourism regions of the country, and the start of major real estate projects along the east coast.

According to newspaper Dominican Today, Mr Jimenez said: “The government has invested around 100 million dollars in the tourism section, in addition to investments in areas such as roads, sanitary cleanup, beach regeneration and the elimination of shanty areas of the tourism zones.

Within the next four years, he said that there would be more than 2,500 more hotel rooms in the country, noting that important attractions such as golf courses and marinas were also being developed.

According to overseas property expert David Stanley Redfern, the Dominican Republic has emerged as an attractive market for property investors looking for opportunities in Latin America, and promises high levels of future capital growth