SANTO DOMINGO.- At the first CENI Expo Forum, Birgitt Heinsen, president of the Puerto Plata Tourism Cluster, highlighted the advantages of the "Bride of the Atlantic," which make it an attractive destination.
She proudly displayed the figures for cruise ship arrivals last year, which exceeded one million visitors and continues to thrive in 2023. Last February, the number reached 252,000, a 300% increase compared to the same period in 2022.
The tourism representative for the North Coast cited the variety of conditions that Puerto Plata possesses: “excellent post-pandemic recovery, economic reactivation, arrival of cruise ship passengers, good connectivity, diversity of accommodation, more than 100 kilometers of beach, 9 municipalities all with tourist capacity, experience, natural attractions, history & culture,” she explained.
Heinsen elaborated on the connectivity provided by the Gregorio Luperón Airport and the Santiago Airport, the existence of the Amber Cove and Taino Bay ports, and the advantages of intercity transport with buses from the Metro and Caribe Tours lines.
He added to the menu Ocean World, the roads that connect the province, resorts, boutique hotels, ecolodge hotels, glamping and vacation rentals.
According to the expert, who spoke about Puerto Plata as the guest destination, this area has more than 100 kilometers of beaches, among them she mentioned Punta Rusia, La Ensenada, Punta Dévora, Cambiaso Beach, Viejo Oscar, Teco Beach, Bahía Cofresí, Long Beach, Costa Dorada, Playa Dorada, Bergantín, Cangrejo, Sosua, Alicia, Encuentro Beach, Cabarete and La Boca Beach.
“9 municipalities offering experiences, sun and beach, cultural tourism, ecotourism, adventure sports tourism, community tourism and gastronomy,” the businesswoman explained.
He spoke of the historical places: “Temple of the Americas and La Isabela Archaeological Park, San Felipe Cathedral, Gregorio Luperón Museum, Amber Museum, Victorian architecture, houses in the historic center, colonial architecture (San Felipe Fortress), Jewish museum, Doña Blanca promenade.”.
He said that Puerto Plata is the birthplace of traditional merengue and bachata, also mentioning the jazz festival and its carnival celebrations.
Regarding the connection with nature, Heinsen mentioned Isabel de Torres hill and the cable car, Cayo Arena, the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua, the zipline, the caves of Cabarete, Rio Sonador, Ocean World marine park, snorkeling and coral restoration, La Rejoya, Charco Los Militares, horseback riding, bird watching and the manatee sanctuary.
In Puerto Plata, sports tourism offers the opportunity to enjoy water sports such as snorkeling and diving, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, stand up paddle, windfoil, sailing, cycling, mountain biking, golf, and enduro.
“Gastronomy: cocoa route, coffee route, rum experience, fried fish (maimón), quipes bojo, geo cheese, Doña Agustina's sweets, chicharrón (imbert), melao chocolates, Doña Julia cookies, fresh fruits,” he explained.
The president of the Tourism Cluster said that Puerto Plata has spaces and infrastructure to celebrate all kinds of events such as meetings, conferences, fairs and conventions, weddings, honeymoons and birthdays.
In conclusion, he referred to the variety of existing real estate projects: Playa Dorada, Blue Jacktar, Riviera Azul, San Marino, Xanadu Resort & Residences, Luxury Towers, Vista del Atlántico, Ultravioleta and Millenium.
