SANTO DOMINGO.- agreement yesterday, Tuesday, August 5, with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), which places the country among the five most important strategic destinations for cruise tourism in the region.
The signing of this agreement, led by the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, and the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, will strengthen the arrival of cruise ship passengers and signifies an increase in foreign investment and a greater positioning of the country as a regional benchmark in this important segment of tourism.
The event announced that the Dominican Republic will host the Pamac Cruise Summit 2026 , an exclusive conference for executives of cruise lines that are members of the FCCA.
The agreement signed by Collado and FCCA President Adam Ceserano consolidates a high-level alliance between the Dominican Republic and the FCCA, while reinforcing the Dominican State's strategic vision to continue promoting cruise tourism as an engine of economic development, employability, international competitiveness, and territorial cohesion.
After signing the agreement, President Abinader spoke with the media and highlighted the remarkable growth of cruise tourism in the country. He noted that the number of cruise passengers arriving in the country has doubled in recent years , making it one of the most important areas for the development of the tourism sector.
Taino Bay in Puerto Plata and Cabo Rojo in Pedernales are already in operation , which have significantly boosted the arrival of tourists by sea, and reported that the ports of Samaná, Arroyo Barril and Barahona are under construction, the latter being developed directly by the Government.
two new cruise ports are in the planning stages One of them is in Manzanillo industrial and logistics zone is currently being developed with the installation of power plants and complementary industries.
“Cruise tourism is at its best and will be even better in the years to come,” the president said, highlighting the government’s commitment to diversifying and strengthening tourism , for the benefit of national economic development.
For his part, David Collado highlighted that, thanks to the vision and support of President Abinader, the Dominican Republic will host Pamac , the Caribbean cruise industry
He also highlighted that 2024 marks the best year for cruise tourism in the country's history, with more than 2.6 million visitors from January to July , far exceeding pre-pandemic levels, and projected that the Dominican Republic will reach 12 million tourists this year , with a projected growth in cruise tourism between 7% and 9%.
Meanwhile, FCCA President Adam Ceserano highlighted the unprecedented development of cruise tourism in the Dominican Republic, something unseen in the Caribbean and Latin America. He emphasized that the country already has seven ports and more are on the way . “The Dominican Republic is fully committed to cruise tourism.”
He thanked President Abinader and Minister Collado for their leadership, reaffirming the FCCA's commitment to this alliance, which he said will mark a turning point: "We are here to announce something big, very big: the Dominican Republic will become a very large and very important destination in cruise tourism.".
Likewise, the president of the tourist taxi drivers at the Taino Bay terminal, Felix de Aza , thanked the Florida and Caribbean Cruise Association for trusting in a safe and hospitable country like the Dominican Republic, where tourism drives the local economy thanks to the work of the Government, the Ministry of Tourism and those who provide direct service to visitors.
Validity and scope of the agreement
This agreement, which will be in effect until December 31, 2026, extended for a period of 17 months, marks the incorporation of the Dominican Republic as one of the five presidential strategic partners of the FCCA at the regional level, as well as the organization of private strategic meetings with senior executives of cruise lines (presidents, vice presidents and directors), focused on the development of services, products, local sourcing opportunities, new itineraries and job creation.
It also establishes the implementation of a national strategy for the labor insertion of Dominican talent in the cruise industry , technical evaluation led by cruise line executives, focused on reviewing the passenger experience in the country's destinations, and offering recommendations for its continuous improvement.
The agreement also includes priority access to professional training with Aquila (Center for Cruise Excellence), and the Dominican Republic's institutional participation in high-level international events, including workshops, panels and forums at events such as Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 and other meetings organized by the FCCA.
This includes prominent presence promotional campaigns , and the celebration in Dominican territory of the FCCA Platinum Members Conference in 2026 , an event that will bring together the highest decision-makers in the industry and allow for the direct promotion of the opportunities offered by the country.
Isidro García Senior Executive Vice President of Business at BanReservas Héctor Porcella President of the Civil Aviation Board Alejandro Campos President of the Board of Directors of the Dominican Port Authority; Juan "Papo" Bancalari , President of the Dominican Republic Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores) Luis Rafael Lee Ballester , Director of Migration Minoru Matsunaga , President of Politur ; Brigadier General Pilot Enmanuel Souffront Tamayo (FARD) of Cesac; Luis Emilio Rodríguez Antonio Yapor, of the Airports Association Juan Manuel Martín de Oliva, Vice President of the Tourism Area of Banco Popular Dominicano and President of the Santo Domingo Tourism Cluster .
