The first Caribbean roadshow being organised by Panama Diamond Exchange (PDE) will take place to the island nation of the Dominican Republic from September 7 to 9, the organisation said in a release. The nation is a key economy in the Caribbean Basin, both for its increasingly important domestic market, but also for the millions of tourists who visit each year.

This is the sixth road show being organised by PDE in the region as part of its two-pronged outreach programme which includes periodic diamond and jewelry weeks that bring buyers to the World Jewelry Hub in Panama City.

The Dominican Republic is one of the world's fastest expanding economies, with growth averaging around 5.5 percent annually between 1991 and 2013. It is Latin America's ninth largest GDP and the largest in the Caribbean and Central American region. The country registers 5 million tourist arrivals each year, far outpacing all other islands in the Caribbean.

The country also serves as a production center for many U.S. jewellery companies, is Latin America's sixth largest gold producer and the 20th largest globally, with an estimated 40 million ounces of gold reserves.

 "The Dominican Republic is a lynchpin in a region that critical in Latin America," explained Judy Meana, Vice President of the PDE. "It not only is the gateway to the Caribbean, but also a lucrative jewelry market serving million of tourists from the United States and around the world. We consider this to be a most important stop in PDE's outreach program."