SANTO DOMINGO.– With more than 6,500 passengers and a crew of 2,129 people on board, the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship, one of the largest in the world, arrived yesterday at the Cabo Rojo Pedernales Port, docking for the first time in the south of the Dominican Republic, one of the country's newest tourist attractions.
Tourism Minister David Collado reacted to the event via his social media, highlighting that the arrival of the visitors consolidates the southern region of the country as a key new tourist destination in the Caribbean.
"For the first time, the Port of Cabo Rojo welcomes the Oasis of the Seas, one of the world's largest cruise ships, from Royal Caribbean International," the official posted. "Another historic day in Pedernales!" he commented.
He explained that cruise ship passengers can enjoy activities in the heart of the town, where they can discover the rich Creole culture, art, and crafts, and savor culinary delights. "And an authentic experience alongside the community. We continue to demonstrate that the south also shines," Collado said.
The Cabo Rojo-Pedernales tourism development project envisions an investment of US$2.245 billion over the next 10 years, which includes nine hotels, an international airport, a shopping center, an aqueduct, a wastewater treatment plant and an electrical transmission system; water and sanitation works, roads such as the Enriquillo-Pedernales highway and internal roads in Cabo Rojo.
The current government authorities assure that the plan will transform the territories of the Southern region and the entire country, boosting productivity through tourism, industry and commerce, as well as the demand for academic and specialized training, agricultural production, entrepreneurship and the work of MSMEs, local and interprovincial transport and the presence of the banking and financial sector.
