Puerto Plata. – President Luis Abinader led the inauguration of the second phase of the Taíno Bay tourist and cargo terminal, with an investment of more than USD 15 million.
Upon arrival, the president stopped to greet tourists of various nationalities who were in the terminal, which received two cruise ships with more than 8,000 passengers on Friday.
During the event, President Abinader highlighted that the Dominican Republic is on its way to becoming the Caribbean country that receives the most cruise tourism, with 1,311,000 passengers in 2022 and a projection of almost two million by 2023.
In addition, he highlighted three other cruise port projects being developed in Samaná and Cabo Rojo to continue consolidating the tourism sector. He added that the bidding process for a tourist dock in Barahona has already begun between the Port Authority and the Ministry of Tourism, which will complement Cabo Rojo in Pedernales.
“We are supporting all the initiatives, we are pro-business, we are pro-jobs and we are pro-development,” the ruler emphasized.
Second stage Taíno Bay
With this second stage, more than 450 direct jobs are added, and the port has added a drop-off area for passenger drop-off, two restaurants, 26 shops, a swimming pool with a bar, a lazy river as a recreational space, and 3 bars.
With this, more and better amenities are provided to cruise passengers, and it is committed to maintaining the revitalization and potentization of tourism in the province and the entire region.
Taíno Bay has attracted many passengers, exceeding 300,000 in 2022 and projecting another 750,000 for this 2023,” with a spillover of more than 100 million dollars for the region”, highlighted Mauricio Hamui, CEO of ITM and Taíno Bay.
Seven cruise lines arrive at this terminal with three berths and a capacity for about 14,000 cruise passengers.
Announce the third stage.
Hamui also announced that together with the Ministry of Culture, they are working on the third stage of the port, for which the infrastructure in the San Felipe Fortress will be rehabilitated.
Likewise, he indicated that the port would open its facilities for the enjoyment of families from Puerto Plata on Sundays when there are no cruise ships.
Eight cruise terminals by 2025
By 2025, “the Dominican Republic will go from 3 to 8 cruise terminals, of which 3 already receive Oasis-type cruises,” said the director of the Dominican Port Authority, Jean Luis Rodríguez.
“In 2020 we received three cruise terminals that were not working due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and only one of them had the capacity to receive Oasis-type cruises. Today we have Taíno Bay, with two stages in operation, we are building Samaná Bayport and Port Cabo Rojo, in a project together with the DGAPP, we have Arroyo Barril, and we are working on a proposal for Barahona”.
Meanwhile, the general administrator of Banco de Reservas, Samuel Pereyra, said that “this work transmits a message of solidarity to the Government and private companies, of commitment, trust, and optimism in them, and with their current clients and potential investors in the sector.”.
The Administrative Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza; of Tourism, David Collado; of Culture, Milagros Germán; of Industry and Commerce, Víctor “Ito” Bisonó; Governor Claritza Rochtte; Senator Ginette Bournigal; the mayor Diómedes Roque García, and the vice minister Igor Rodríguez.
Also, the director of Public-Private Alliances, Sigmund Freund; the president of the Board of Directors of APORDOM, Alejandro Campos; and Vice Admiral Ramón Gustavo Betances, Navy RD, among others.
