Next Thursday, the province of Pedernales opens its doors to international tourism with the arrival of the first cruise ship to this destination.
More than three thousand visitors, including cruise passengers and crew, will be able to enter this area and for weeks the provincial authorities, government entities and the private sector have had the city ready and yesterday they were applying the last details to receive the first cruise ship that will arrive to this new tourist destination in the country.
It is one of the cruise ships of Norwegian Cruise Line, the shipping company responsible for bringing to safe harbor the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship, which will be received by President Luis Abinader, the Minister of Tourism and other officials.
Hotel occupancy is at 98%, according to hoteliers.
The province already has its best image, there the firemen, the Mayor’s Office of Pedernales and Public Works carried out the urban cleaning with washing of streets, removal of debris and garbage collection in the areas where the travelers will walk.
Expectations
This is the beginning of the development of the tourism sector, says Euris González of the Association of Nature Guides of Oviedo, pointing out that although not all the cruise passengers will visit the tourist offer that the locality has, this day will mark a precedent in the history of Dominican tourism and of the southern region.
“We have been working for this day for several years, and we will do what we know how to do: provide good service to visitors,” González told EL DÍA.
He explained that the 17 tour guides who belong to this guild are optimistic that this destination will be explored by international visitors.
Santiago Rodríguez Cuevas, member of the Chamber of Commerce of Pedernales, sees the arrival of these cruisers as a beginning and a relaunching of tourism for Pedernales.
This is one of the greatest desires of the people, because we hope that the area will become more dynamic”, he said, pointing out that the private sector is already prepared to offer a unique experience in one of the best beaches and gastronomy of the country.
Another who is optimistic that starting tomorrow will be the launching of that destination is the mayor of Pedernales, Andrés Jiménez, who said that they are conditioning the area for tourists to enjoy and consume in the province.
“Here we are all excited because this will energize the economy of this province,” Jimenez told EL DÍA.
Cruise ship consumption
The arrival of these visitors has a great value in the economy of the tourist areas, since their consumption is significant in the areas they visit, although not all of them stay overnight in the destinations they visit, they have a positive impact on the local economy, since they make purchases to the micro, small and medium enterprises of the tourism sector.
In fact, according to statistics from the Central Bank, in 2022 cruise ship tourists’ spending was US$116, which represents 26% more than the US$92 in 2021.
Preparing the offer
The executive director of the General Directorate of Public-Private Alliances, Sigmund Freund, expressed his satisfaction with the arrival of the first cruise passengers to Cabo Rojo and indicated that this cruise is the formal opening of a new destination in the DR.
He added that “getting here has taken us three years of hard work, commitment and dedication, of believing that this day would come and of making good on the promise made by President Luis Abinader, on his first visit to these lands, offering Pedernales the opportunity it had been waiting for for so many years”.
He pointed out that the DGAPP and the Pro-Pedernales Trust have worked hand in hand with the Dominican Port Authority to facilitate the construction of this cruise terminal, as this port is contemplated within the Master Plan of the Tourism Development Project of Pedernales which has been in the works since the end of 2020.
He emphasized that with the systematic work of the Pro-Pedernales Trust, significant progress has already been made in the construction of the first hotels, “the first hotel already has buildings at an advanced stage of construction with 236 rooms”.
He added that the water and sewage works and the internal roads are almost ready and that progress is being made according to schedule with the electrical works and to begin construction of the international airport in Oviedo-Pedernales this year.
The official highlighted that to date, DR$26,000 million have been invested in Cabo Rojo and more than 1,800 direct jobs have been created, which in his opinion has boosted the economy of the entire southern region.
Consumption
130 dollars.
The highest average expenditure of cruise passengers registered in the country is in the tourist area of La Romana.
First phase of port in Cabo Rojo
Investment. The Dominican Port Authority detailed that the first phase of the Cabo Rojo Port is ready and consists of 200 meters of dock, plus a mooring node, features that will allow it to receive several vessels at the same time.
The entity indicated that it will be this Thursday at 10:30 in the morning when President Luis Abinader, together with Jean Luis Rodríguez, officials and businessmen of the sector, will attend the reception of the first tourists at this port.
This cruise terminal, with an investment of close to US$100 million, is projected to receive up to one million cruise passengers per year once all phases are completed.
This work is in addition to the more than five remodeling works carried out by the Port.
Source: Mitur.com
