Escarlin Pozo
El Inmobiliario
SANTO DOMINGO – The date has been set to continue writing about the development of Pedernales. This coming October, the Enriquillo region and the southern part of the country will receive a new boost with the inauguration of the second phase of the Cabo Rojo port.
The director of the Dominican Port Authority (Apordom), Jean Luis Rodríguez, reported yesterday on the launch of this new phase, which will also coincide with the arrival of its third cruise ship.
During its opening, a fishermen's pier will be handed over, which will cover both the first and second phases.
Rodríguez, who was interviewed on the program “Hoy Mismo”, indicated that, by the end of 2024, the port is expected to receive a total of 20,000 cruise passengers.
According to other projections released, following the confirmation of several cruise ships, it is expected that 150,000 passengers will arrive at the terminal by 2025.
He explained that one of the pillars of Cabo Rojo's success has been the country's participation in the main international cruise fairs.
Jean Luis Rodríguez. (External source).
“That has been our task, to introduce the Dominican Republic, through the port authority, to the FCCA, which is the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, and in each of those forums we have not missed a single opportunity to present the country's ports,” he stated.
The director of Apordom also mentioned that other Dominican ports, such as Amber Cove and Taíno Bay, continue to experience growth.
He specified that, in 2023, Amber Cove, in Puerto Plata, exceeded one million passengers, while Taíno Bay approached 800,000, thus consolidating the country's position as a key destination for cruise tourism in the region.
“We are working on several additional projects, including two ports in Samaná. One is in Santa Bárbara, in the main municipality, and the port of Arroyo Barril, which is also being structured,” he specified.
The rise of cruise tourism in the Dominican Republic
As Rodríguez pointed out, by the end of 2023 the country had received a total of 2.3 million cruise passengers, representing a 110% increase compared to the previous year.
According to estimates, this goal is expected to be surpassed by 2024 with the arrival of 3 million passengers.
Progress at the port of Manzanillo
As the spokesman indicated, the current planning for the port of Manzanillo, located in the province of Montecristi, focuses on completing improvement works with an approximate investment of 3 million dollars.
This intervention is intended to maintain port operations while a new dock is being built, for which a $60 million loan has been secured from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
In general terms, Jean Luis Rodríguez stated that the work projections in the country are focused on two key objectives: consolidating the Dominican Republic as the main logistics center of the Caribbean region and continuing to strengthen the country's position in the cruise tourism sector.
