Santo Domingo.- The growing arrival of sargassum on Dominican beaches has become a persistent problem for both tourists and the tourism industry, with nearly 20 million tons of the seaweed reaching the country’s shores so far this year. The challenge of how to mitigate its environmental and economic impact remains unresolved, as officials acknowledge that there is no single or definitive solution.

Carlos Peguero, Vice Minister of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Tourism, explained that predicting sargassum’s behavior is nearly impossible due to its irregular patterns. “Last year, over five million tons reached our beaches; this year, almost 20 million. But next year, it could be much less. Its unpredictability makes it difficult to manage or add value to it,” he said.

Verónica Pinilla, international coordinator of the National Sustainable Tourism Strategy, stressed that sargassum management must be integrated into broader frameworks of innovation, entrepreneurship, and environmental management. She emphasized the need to move from research to concrete action, developing sustainable solutions that can transform the problem into opportunity.

In the meantime, hotels and tourism companies, particularly in the eastern region, continue to rely on short-term measures, such as frequent beach cleaning and the installation of floating barriers to contain and collect the algae before it reaches the shore.