Confotour Law on Tourism Development
August 10, 2026
On October 9, 2001, the National Congress approved Law No. 158-01 on the promotion of tourism development in underdeveloped areas and emerging areas in provinces and localities with high potential. The objective was to accelerate a streamlined process of developing the tourism industry in all regions with the potential and natural conditions for tourism development throughout the Dominican Republic.
This law created the Tourism Development Council (CONFOTUR) to implement the guidelines of Law No. 158-01 and to establish the necessary conditions and facilities for innovative tourism projects to access the incentives provided by the law.
Decree No. 372-14 created the Technical Directorate of CONFOTUR, responsible for managing all technical matters arising from the application of Law No. 158-01 and its amendments.
Applications for Classification, to qualify for the terms of Law 158-01 and its amendments, must be submitted through the CONFOTUR website by completing the Application Form. The Technical Directorate will conduct the technical and legal evaluation of the projects and is responsible for recommending to the Council the appropriate exemptions for each application it reviews.
A Classification, whether Provisional or Definitive, is simply the approval by the Tourism Development Council (CONFOTUR) of a given tourism project as eligible for the benefits and incentives of the Law.
Similarly, with the approval of Resolution 49-2014, a step is taken to allow tourism projects that can qualify under Law 158-01 and its amendments, for the purpose of offering health services, and which have the capacity to generate significant tourist flows through marketing channels for medical tourism, which are not typical of leisure tourism.
In short, all exemptions granted by CONFOTUR are established in Law 158-01 and its amendments. Each project is evaluated by CONFOTUR’s Technical Directorate following the guidelines of the same law, its Implementing Regulations (Decree No. 372-14 of October 9, 2014), and Resolution No. 109-15 of September 25, 2015, which approves the Guide for the Submission of Tourism Projects to access the Incentives and Benefits of Law No. 158-01.
