Puerto Plata. – President Luis Abinader led the inauguration of the second phase of the Taíno Bay tourist and cargo terminalwith an investment that exceeds USD 15 million.
Upon arrival, the president stopped to greet tourists of various nationalities who were in the terminal, which received this friday two cruises with more than 8,000 passengers.
During the act, President Abinader stressed that the Dominican Republic is on its way to becoming the Caribbean country that receives the most cruise tourismwith 1,311,000 passengers in 2022 and a projection of almost two million by 2023.
In addition, he highlighted three other cruise port projects that are being developed in Samana and Cabo Rojo to continue consolidating the tourism sector. To this he added that Port Authority and the Ministry of Tourism The bidding process for a tourist pier in Barahona, which will serve as a complement to Cabo Rojo in Pedernales.
“We are supporting all the initiatives, we are pro-business, we are pro-jobs and we are pro-development,” emphasized the ruler.
Second stage Taíno Bay
With this second stage, more than 450 direct jobs are added and added to the port, a zone of drop off for dropping off passengers, two restaurants, 26 shops, a swimming pool with a bar, a lazy river as a recreational space and 3 bars.
With this they provide more and better amenities for cruise passengers and it is committed to maintaining the revitalization and potentialization of tourism in the province and the entire region.
Taíno Bay has attracted a large number of passengers, exceeding 300,000 in 2022 and projecting another 750,000 for this 2023, “with an income of more than 100 million dollars for the region”, projection Mauricio Hamui, CEO of ITM and Taíno Bay.
Seven cruise lines arrive at this terminal, which has three docking positions and capacity for about 14,000 cruise passengers.
Announce third stage
Hamui also announced that together with the culture Ministry work on the third stage of the port, for which the infrastructure will be rehabilitated in the San Felipe Fortress.
Likewise, he indicated that the port will open its facilities for the enjoyment of families from Puerto Plata during Sundays when there are no cruises.
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,” so stated 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 Manager of the Reserve Bank, Samuel Pereyraexpressed that “This work transmits a message of solidarity to the Government and private companies, of commitment, confidence 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.
