Enter your search terms Submit search form

Hoteliers Want to Refund VAT to Tourists

A system similar to Tax Free can soon be launched in Dominican Republic. Dominican association of hotels and restaurants proposed a suggestion to refund VAT for purchased items to tourists when they leave the country.

Hotel owners addressed the government with the request to give the hotel business a status of one of the main export sectors of the economy. Moreover, hoteliers called the government of Dominican Republic for solving the question about refunding VAT for purchased items to tourists.

President of National association of hotels and restaurants (Asonahores), Luis Lopez, considers that tourism in Dominican Republic became one of the basic pillars of the state economy, but in order to increase overall tourism competitiveness it is necessary to make some changes and new regulations in this sector, which would be similar to those used by other countries. As Lopez notes, in other countries with recognized tourism traditions the industry of hospitality has long ago been assimilated as a part of export sector with relevant attitude toward it due to the role it plays in economy.

Lopez cited Europe as an example, where taxes paid for purchased goods are partially refunded to tourists in the airports. In his opinion, if tourism is considered an export-sector it can benefit from full or partial VAT refunding to tourists visiting the country. System similar to Tax Free will make Dominican Republic even more competitive and will set it equal to the largest tourism directions of the world.

Lopez confirmed that tourism produces annual currency income of 3 billion 800 million dollars (2 billion 739 million Euro) for the country that accounts for 19.6% GDP. Tourism provides the employment of 593 000 working places directly or indirectly, and this is 17 % of the total number of employed population of the country. These figures look convincing even up to the world level and attract numerous investments in tourism sector of Dominican Republic.

Iuri Tarabanov writes about interesting travel experiences. His Cheap Travel site is http://www.travelime.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Iuri_Tarabanov
http://EzineArticles.com/?Hoteliers-Want-to-Refund-VAT-to-Tourists&id=784007